Last Photo Of Dying Spy Litvinenko Released

The last photo taken of poisoned Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko has been shown to the public inquiry into his death.

The image of Mr Litvinenko lying gaunt in bed shows a marked deterioration in his condition when compared with an earlier, widely-circulated photo of him in hospital.

He agreed to have photos taken in his final days at University College Hospital because he wanted the world to know “he was poisoned by the Kremlin,” the inquiry heard.

Mr Litvinenko’s friend, molecular biologist-turned political activist Alex Goldfarb, told the inquiry the image was the last of the former KGB officer while still alive.

Mr Goldfarb claimed he was banned from entering the UK in 2000 after helping Mr Litvinenko and his family seek asylum in a move apparently instigated by the late Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky.

He said Mr Berezovsky covered travel expenses for the Litvinenkos at a cost of £85,000 ($130,000) and continued to financially support them after they arrived in the UK.

The inquiry also heard that Mr Litvinenko told police from his hospital bed he had a “feeling” two Russian men now suspected of his murder wanted to kill him.

He met Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitri Kovtun on 1 November 2006, the day he is now known to have ingested the radioactive substance polonium-210.

During interviews in hospital with now-retired Metropolitan Police officer Brent Hyatt, Mr Litvinenko described the day of the meeting with the two men at the Millennium hotel and his rapid deterioration later in the evening.

Mr Litvinenko said he drank tea from a silver teapot in the presence of Lugovoi, but it was “nearly cold” and he did not like the taste so only took three or four sips.

He told police: “When I left the hotel I was thinking there is something strange. I had been feeling all the time I knew that they wanted to kill me.”

Mr Litvinenko later described to police how he fell ill and realised he may have been poisoned.

He told them: “The vomiting didn’t stop and I started having foam out my mouth and also bits of stomach with blood started coming out. And I realised I had been poisoned.”

Mr Litvinenko was also asked about a meeting he had with an unidentified man at the Piccadilly branch of Waterstones on 31 October – the day before the suspected poisoning.

It is now understood that man was “Martin” – an MI6 officer to whom Mr Litvinenko reported.

The Russian dissident drank hot chocolate and ate three pastries, while the man drank a coffee, the inquiry heard.

Mr Hyatt interviewed Mr Litvinenko over three days.

Counsel to the inquiry Robin Tam QC asked Mr Hyatt if he witnessed Mr Litvinenko’s condition deteriorate in that period.

“Very clearly, yes,” Mr Hyatt said.

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Last Photo Of Dying Spy Litvinenko Released