News / Russia / Foreign Policy

UK breaching intl. law by withholding evidence on Salisbury incident: Russia

Thursday, 29 March 2018 1:48 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 29 March 2018 1:50 PM ]

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova speaks to the media in Moscow on March 29, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused Britain of breaching international law by withholding evidence related to the alleged poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in the UK earlier this month.

British authorities claim that Russian agents used an undetectable nerve agent to poison Sergei Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, in the city of Salisbury on March 4. The two remain unconscious in hospital.

Western countries have announced plans to expel scores of Russian diplomats from their embassies in protest.

The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the incident, urging those states to review the information that Britain claims is evidence of Russia’s involvement.

PressTV-Russia ‘to retaliate diplomat expulsions in due course’

Moscow says it is determined to retaliate against the expulsion of scores of its diplomats by Western states but stresses that it is open to dialog.

A spokesperson for Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova told reporters in Moscow on Thursday that despite Russia's call for cooperation in investigating the incident, Britain was withholding evidence.

Zakharova said the UK had not provided any updates on Yulia Skripal despite the fact that she was a Russian citizen.

She said Britain's behavior ran counter to a 1968 consular accord, which was signed between the then Soviet Union and Britain, under which the UK agreed to allow access to Russian nationals on British soil.

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