MOSCOW: The British embassy in Moscow on Friday accused Russia of spreading “disinformation” after London charged two Russian citizens with the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK.
The UK this week identified the men as Russian intelligence officers and said President Vladimir Putin was “ultimately” responsible for the March attack.
Moscow said pointing the finger at the Kremlin was “unacceptable.”
“Russia is distracting from the facts,” the UK embassy said on Twitter, after ambassador Laurie Bristow held a briefing on the case for foreign diplomats in the country.
The embassy accused Russia of spreading “37 disinformation narratives since March.”
On Wednesday Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova questioned the authenticity of CCTV photographs which the UK police released of the suspects, implying it was suspicious that the time on the photographs was identical.
“Maria Zakharova asked why the times on two CCTV images were the same: these were images of the suspects arriving in the UK taken from two cameras covering separate lanes at international arrivals,” the embassy tweeted.
The “operation (was) almost certainly approved at senior levels of (the) Russian state,” it said.
But the embassy added that “UK concerns are with the Russian state, not the Russian people.”
Britain has previously accused Russia of orchestrating the attack, but Moscow denies any involvement and insists it is ready to cooperate on an investigation.
UK embassy accuses Russia of ‘disinformation’ over Skripals
UK embassy accuses Russia of ‘disinformation’ over Skripals
Fourth Palestine Action activist ends hunger strike in UK prison
- Amy Gardiner-Gibson began eating again after 49 days of protest
- Govt rejects claims it ignored prison safety protocols
LONDON: A fourth Palestine Action activist imprisoned in the UK has ended her hunger strike.
Amy Gardiner-Gibson, who also uses the name Amu Gib, began eating again after 49 days of fasting, the campaign group Prisoners for Palestine said.
Qesser Zuhrah, another activist, ended her hunger strike last week after 48 days but said she might resume it next year, Sky News reported.
Four Palestine Action activists have now ended their hunger strikes while in prison, while four others are continuing to fast.
All of them are in prison on remand, awaiting trial for a series of high-profile alleged break-ins and criminal damage.
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organization and banned earlier this year.
On Tuesday, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was arrested in central London at a rally in support of the hunger strikers.
The protesters are demanding that weapons factories in Britain with ties to Israel be shut down, as well as the removal of Palestine Action’s proscription.
They are also calling for immediate bail to be given to imprisoned pro-Palestine activists and an end to the alleged mistreatment of prisoners in custody.
Seven imprisoned members of Palestine Action have been transferred to hospital over the course of the hunger strike campaign. Doctors have highlighted concerns about the long-term impact of fasting on the activists.
Lawyers representing the group on Monday initiated legal action against the government over its alleged failure to follow prison safety regulations.
The government, however, has rejected this accusation, Sky News reported.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Ministers do not intervene in individual cases. Where individuals are on remand, doing so would risk prejudicing ongoing legal proceedings and undermine the independence of the justice system.
“Concerns about welfare and process can be raised through established legal and administrative channels, including prison governors and ultimately the prison and probation ombudsman.
“Healthcare decisions are taken independently by qualified NHS professionals and appropriate care and oversight frameworks remain in place.”
The activists still on hunger strike include Heba Muraisi and Teuta Hoxha. Hoxha has been on remand for 13 months and her family told Sky News they feared she would die in prison.
Another of the activists, Kamran Ahmad, is believed to have been on hunger strike for 45 days and hospitalized three times.
Lewie Chiaramello, who has Type 1 diabetes, is on day 31 of his strike and taking part by fasting every other day.
