NEWS ADVISORY

House Foreign Affairs Committee

U.S. House of Representatives

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Republican

CONTACT:  Sam Stratman, (202) 226-7875, May 22, 2007

                     Lee Cohen, (202) 226-1139

For IMMEDIATE Release

Ros-Lehtinen Calls for Russian Cooperation in Litvinenko Investigation

(WASHINGTON) - U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today introduced legislation urging the Russian Government to cooperate with the investigation of the November, 2006 radioactive poisoning death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko. Statement of Ros-Lehtinen:

I am introducing legislation that coincides with today’s indictment in Britain of Andrei Lugovoy, a former Russian intelligence agent, for his alleged involvement in the alarming circumstances of Mr. Litvinenko’s death by radioactive poisoning.

This is not simply about Mr. Litvinenko’s death, as disturbing as it is. The ease with which Mr. Litvenenko was surreptitiously given a lethal dose of polonium-210 illustrates how dangerous even a small quantity of radioactive material can be in the hands of criminals and terrorists.

Moreover, it is troubling that Litvinenko, who had publicly accused senior Russian government officials of involvement in organized crime, was targeted for assassination.

We urge the Russian government to fully cooperate with British authorities in this homicide investigation and move expeditiously to implement vital safeguards in the handling of Polonium-210 and similar toxic materials.

##30##