Armed guards will protect witnesses questioned over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko if their safety is deemed to be at risk from Russian investigators. Russian police have requested permission to interview more than 100 witnesses in Britain in connection with the death of Mr Litvinenko, the former Russian spy poisoned with the radioactive element polonium 210.
However, leading exiles on the list, including the billionaire Boris Berezovsky, who is described by the Kremlin as "Public Enemy Number One", fear they will be kidnapped or even assassinated by Russian "hit squads" using the investigation as cover.
A senior counter-terrorism officer told The Sunday Telegraph that witnesses who feared for their safety would be "risk-assessed". If judged to be in danger, they would be given armed guards from the Specialist Protection Squad, which provides protection for the Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers and other high-profile figures considered to be at risk of terrorist attack.
"Any witness whose safety is deemed to be at risk will be given the appropriate level of protection," the officer said.
"That could range from advice on personal security right up to armed guards for those considered to be in serious danger of attack or abduction."
The officer added that in cases where witnesses were not believed to be at risk, the Russian police would be given "complete freedom to go where they liked and interview who they liked".
Source: Telegraph
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