The press secretary
voiced the Embassy’s position in a written statement answering a request to
comment on a recent report by Yulia’s cousin sister, that she had made a phone
call to her.
LONDON, July 28.
/TASS/. The Russian Embassy in the UK hopes to hear the opinion on the March 4
incident in Salisbury from a person involved in it most immediately - Yulia
Skripal, the daughter of the former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal,
the Embassy’s press secretary said on Friday.
He voiced the
Embassy’s position in a written statement answering a request to comment on a
recent report by Viktoria Skripal, Yulia’s cousin sister living in the Russian
city of Yaroslavl, that Yulia had made a phone call to her. The Embassy
uploaded the answer at its official homepage.
"The Embassy has
no reliable information concerning the contents of this conversation, and can
neither deny nor confirm any information published in this regard, as the British
authorities in violation of their international obligations continue to deny us
access to Yulia Skripal," the press secretary said.
"This is not the
first public statement on behalf of Yulia Skripal, but even her TV appearance
on 23 May did not dispel our doubts over her freedom to do and say what she
wants," he continued. "Back then we were under impression that Yulia
did not use her own words and was reading a pre-written statement. We pointed
out the facts supporting such conclusion."
"What’s
important is that if Yulia, according to Viktoria, has indeed gained access to
the Internet, it means that she had not enjoyed such access before, contrary to
all claims by the British authorities that she is free to communicate with the
outside world," the press secretary said. "Better late than never
though."
He voiced the hope
that Yulia would finally get an opportunity to familiarize herself with Russian
assessments of the Salisbury incident, including the Embassy’s statements, and
to learn how the Russian side had been trying to gain consular access to
herself and her father in order to make sure that their rights and interests
were duly observed.
"We know of
Yulia’s refusal to communicate with us, but very much hope to hear her views on
this matter in a free conversation rather that in a video statement recorded
under police control," the press secretary said.
"We once again
urge the British authorities to observe their obligations under international
law, as they are keen to require from other states," he indicated.
According to the
version of events promulgated by the UK authorities, the former Russian
intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, who had served a term for espionage in
favor of the UK in Russia, and his daughter Yulia sustained the impact of a
nerve agent from a group notionally codenamed ‘novichok’ [a new arrival].
The British
government came up with the assertions that Russia was ‘highly likely’ involved
in the incident. Moscow strongly rejected all the assertions in this regard, saying
neither the USSR nor Russia had ever developed substances of this group.
The chief of the UK
military laboratory at Porton Down, Gary Aitkenhead, said later the British
experts had failed to establish the origin of the substance, which the Skripals
had been exposed to.
Source: ITAR-TASS
28-07-2018
