OPCW confirms British findings over substance used in Salisbury poisoning

Admin Thu 12 Apr 2018, 11:57 am

https://www.rt.com/uk/423911-opcw-skripal-russia-investigation/
OPCW confirms British findings over substance used in Salisbury poisoning
Published time: 12 Apr, 2018 11:04
Edited time: 12 Apr, 2018 11:36
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OPCW confirms British findings over substance used in Salisbury poisoning
© Hannah McKay / Reuters
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The OPCW has released its findings into the Skripal poisoning, the watchdog confirming the British conclusions over the nerve agent used. It did not elaborate on the origin of the substance only detailing its chemical make-up.
The OPCW says it has confirmed British findings on the nerve agent used in last month's poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the southern english city of Salisbury.

The testing was carried out by four laboratories affiliated with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons at Britain’s request. The watchdog did not assign blame for the attack or specifically name the chemical agent in the summary of its findings.

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https://www.rt.com/uk/423864-yulia-skripal-statement-police/
Yulia Skripal issues statement via British police, asks cousin not to contact her
Published time: 11 Apr, 2018 19:11
Edited time: 12 Apr, 2018 07:35
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Yulia Skripal issues statement via British police, asks cousin not to contact her
Yulia and Sergei Skripal.

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Yulia Skripal has refused contact with the Russian Embassy and her Moscow-based cousin, Viktoria, and asked for no one else to speak on her behalf, in a statement released by Scotland Yard after she was discharged from hospital.
Despite leaving Salisbury hospital on Monday, Skripal said that she is “still suffering with the effects of the nerve agent used against us,” adding that her father, former double agent Sergei, remains “seriously ill.”

"I find myself in a totally different life than the ordinary one I left just over a month ago, and I am seeking to come to terms with my prospects, whilst also recovering from this attack on me,” the statement said.

Skripal, a Russian citizen, said that she has been given contacts at the Russian Embassy in the UK, but said that at “the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services,” adding that “if I change my mind I know how to contact them.”

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Metropolitan Police

@metpoliceuk
Statement issued on behalf of Yulia Skripal who continues to receive police support following her release from hospital http://news.met.police.uk/news/statement-issued-on-behalf-of-yulia-skripal-302508 …

8:00 PM - Apr 11, 2018
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Explaining that she is “not strong enough to give a full interview to the media,” Skripal insisted “that no one speaks for me, or for my father, but ourselves.” She specifically asked her cousin, Viktoria, who has appeared extensively on Russian television and requested to see Yulia through diplomatic channels, “not to visit me or try to contact me,” underlining that “her opinions and assertions are not mine and they are not my father's.”

Viktoria told Ruptly last week that Yulia sounded “coached” and “did not use her own words” during the only phone conversation between the relatives. Despite Yulia saying she was not open to a visit on the phone line, Viktoria insisted that it would overcome “bureaucratic tricks” that led to her visitor visa application to the UK being denied, and she personally appealed to Theresa May to overturn the decision.

READ MORE: ‘Not her own words’: Skripal relative describes weird phone call, asks PM May for UK visa

Hours earlier, a Russian Embassy source in London accused UK authorities of “forcibly detaining” Yulia and her father and said that Moscow diplomats would continue to try to arrange a meeting with her.

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Russian Embassy, UK

@RussianEmbassy
What @thetimes actually reveals is that Yulia Skripal is held hostage by the same people who destroy evidence and fail to come up with a single official account of the crime.

11:12 AM - Apr 11, 2018
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“The UK side continues to deny us information about her true health status, wishes or location,” the source told RIA news agency. “It is apparent that she is being isolated, eyewitness evidence is being concealed, and obstacles are being erected in the path of an objective and independent investigation.”

Skripal and her father fell into a coma for several weeks, following what appeared to be a poisoning on March 4 in the city of Salisbury, where Sergei lived after being exchanged in a spy swap in 2010.

The UK insists that Russia was behind the attack, a claim the Kremlin has staunchly denied. Britain and its allies have expelled over 100 Russian diplomats over the incident, with mirror measures being applied by Moscow.

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Sergei Skripal’s pets die after investigators sealed off home despite vet warning
https://www.rt.com/uk/423359-skripal-salisbury-pets-die/
Published time: 6 Apr, 2018 08:13
Edited time: 7 Apr, 2018 10:39
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Sergei Skripal’s pets die after investigators sealed off home despite vet warning
Police guard the cordoned-off area around the home of former double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, April 3, 2018 © Hannah McKay / Reuters
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The mystery surrounding the poisoning of Sergei Skripal has deepened after British officials confirmed the deaths of his pets. A cat and two guinea pigs died after investigators sealed off the ex-double agent’s home.
Russia’s UN envoy has called for an explanation of the animals’ deaths. Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia became seriously ill on March 4 after being exposed to a nerve agent and his home was sealed off by investigators days later.

The veterinary clinic in Salisbury which Skripal’s pets attended told RT.com that it contacted the police to make them aware of the animals immediately after hearing that he had been admitted to hospital.

The guinea pigs were found dead inside the Salisbury residence which has been the hub of considerable police activity in recent weeks as officers searched for evidence surrounding the poisoning of the former double agent.

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@RT_com
'I am grateful for the interest in me and for the many messages of goodwill that I have received' - Yulia #Skripal http://on.rt.com/92lz

2:59 PM - Apr 5, 2018
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Skripal’s cat, reportedly named Nash Van Drake, was found alive inside the property weeks after it was sealed off and taken to the Porton Down chemical weapons lab for testing. However, according to British officials, the animal was in such a distressed state that officials decided to euthanize it.

“The property in Wiltshire was sealed as part of the police investigation,” a spokesperson for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.

"When a vet was able to access the property, two guinea pigs had sadly died. A cat was also found in a distressed state and a decision was taken by a veterinary surgeon to euthanize the animal to alleviate its suffering.

"This decision was taken in the best interests of the animal and its welfare,” the spokesperson concluded.

READ MORE: We don’t know who poisoned Skripal, UK yet to prove it’s Moscow – German official

The government statement comes after Russia's UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, asked about the status of the animals at Thursday’s Security Council meeting.

“What happened to these animals? Why doesn’t anyone mention them? Their condition is also an important piece of evidence,” he said. Nebenzia mentioned two cats and two guinea pigs. No information has been provided about the second cat.

The Russian Embassy in the UK also sought answers regarding the welfare of the animals, saying it learnt about them from Skripal’s niece Viktoria.

“To better understand what happened to Sergey and Yulia Skripal, it is essential to know if the animals also suffered from chemical poisoning,” the embassy said. “We have therefore officially requested the Foreign Office to provide us with the respective information, including on whether the animals are receiving any treatment.”

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Russian Embassy, UK
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@RussianEmbassy
It turns out Sergey Skripal has two cats and two guinea pigs. Were they also poisoned? Where are they and how are they treated? Important questions for the investigation. Read our comment: https://www.rusemb.org.uk/fnapr/6455

9:10 PM - Apr 5, 2018
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The revelation that the animals had died caused considerable reaction on social media with many wondering why it had taken officials so long to find the animals despite so much police activity at the home.

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Graham W Phillips
@GrahamWP_UK
Police search of the Skripal's house was so thorough that in a month they couldn't find his cat and 2 guinea pigs....#SkripalCase #SkripalHoax #SkripalPoisoning #Skripals

1:04 AM - Apr 6, 2018
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Nicola James ??
@NAJ562
We can now add incompetence, negligence & cruelty to this fiasco. Forensics have been all over the house & would have known there were pets, who could have been quarantined or put down in a timely & humanely way. #Skripal https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/sergey-skripals-cat-guinea-pigs-12311861 …

6:52 AM - Apr 6, 2018

Sergey Skripal's cat and guinea pigs 'dead'
It's claimed the three pets were found and taken to Porton Down, where they were incinerated

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Aisha S Gani
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@aishagani
Ok this is really distressing. A whole month on and we learn about the pets: Poison victim Sergei Skripal's cat and guinea pigs die after police sealed house https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/sergey-skripals-cat-guinea-pigs-12311861 …

11:35 PM - Apr 5, 2018
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