March 25 2022
Claims against ‘cathedral-visit’ Novichok suspects to be tested at inquiry | Ealing Times
''Three Russian agents suspected of being responsible for the 2018 Salisbury poisonings will have the evidence against them “tested” at a public inquiry into what happened.
A lawyer has been asked to “put on the hat” of suspects Denis Sergeev, Alexander Mishkin and Anatoliy Chepiga, who used the aliases Sergey Fedotov, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov respectively while in the UK.
Petrov and Boshirov gave a much-maligned interview with Russian state media in which they said they were only in the UK, briefly, to visit Salisbury Cathedral'
Lord Hughes, who is chairing the public inquiry, said on Friday that Emilie Pottle from the inquiry’s legal team would serve the interests “of those who have been publicly accused”.
Russian Nationals Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov on Fisherton Road, Salisbury in March 2018 (Metropolitan Police/PA)
''She will not represent the men, who have so far refused to cooperate with the investigation.
At a two-hour public hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, Lord Hughes said: “The accusations that have been made against these three people have been made very publicly – both at a high political level and a legal level.''
“It will be necessary, as I see it, to consider whether the facts alleged are proved or are not.
“Whether or not a named suspect choses to take part in the process … attention must be paid to his interests as the evidence is investigated.''