Britain has wrapped up a 12-month inquiry into the death of Russian exile Alexander Litvinenko, with lawyers insisting the Russian government played some role in his poisoning by a rare radioactive isotope.
The lawyers gave closing statements after Richard Horwell, representing the Metropolitan Police, told the inquiry on Thursday Russia was involved "in one way or another" in Litvinenko's death in November 2006.
"The evidence suggests that the only credible explanation is that in one way or another the Russian state was involved in Litvinenko's murder," Horwell said, adding that Russia had a "formidable list" of grievances against Litvinenko.
The exiled former Russian spy turned British informant fled to Britain in 2000 and became an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He is believed to have ingested polonium-210, which is produced in nuclear reactors, at a meeting in London with former Russian military officer Dmitry Kovtun and a Russian associate, Andrei Lugovoi.
British prosecutors accused Kovtun and Lugovoi of involvement in Litvinenko's murder, but the Russian government refused to extradite them to answer the charges.
The inquiry was extended after Kovtun said he was willing to give evidence via video from Moscow.
But Kovtun on Monday said he had failed to gain permission to testify from Russian authorities, prompting lawyers in London to accuse him of a "charade".
Kovtun has denied involvement in murder and claimed in April that Litvinenko could have accidentally poisoned himself.
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