MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2021) By ruling that Russia was responsible for the 2006 assassination of a former Russian FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) seeks to contribute to the cultivation of Russophobia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, the ECHR ruled that Russia was responsilble for the death of Litvinenko in London, stating that Moscow did not conduct an effective investigation into his murder. Moscow has repeatedly denied involvement in the death of the fugitive lieutenant-colonel.
Zakharova noted that "the September 21 ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on the complaint of the widow of Alexander Litvinenko raises, of course, many questions not only on the merits of the conclusions of this international body, but also regarding the procedure and approaches of the Council (of Europe)."
The spokeswoman added that the ruling was "another evidence that the ECHR, which positions itself as an international judicial body, strives to play a political role and contribute to the cultivation of the atmosphere of Russophobia, which has become so popular in some Western states."
Russia is confused at the inconsistency of the ECHR regarding the Litvinenko case and considers unacceptable different approaches of the court to identical situations, Zakharova said.
