Chapter 8: Alexander Litvinenko's state of mind in October 2006

¶5.87 I have already touched on some of the evidence that I received regarding Mr Litvinenko's

state of mind in the weeks before he was taken ill. He was delighted, and excited, at having received his British citizenship. He was shocked and outraged at the murder of Anna Politkovskaya. At least in the view of some of those around him, her death had made him more anxious for his own safety,80 perhaps compounding fears that he already entertained regarding the 2006 laws. That said, as Mr Bukovsky observed, Mr Litvinenko had become used to living with risk, "he definitely was aware [of risk] all the time".⁸¹⁸¹ Marina Litvinenko 3/111-112 Scaramella 15/94-95 Bukovsky 26/99 Reilly 10/119-121 Horwell 33/72

¶5.88 It has been suggested that Mr Litvinenko may have taken his own life. This raises a

host of questions, which I will address when I come to reach my overall conclusions. One issue that is obviously raised, however, and on which I heard evidence, is whether Mr Litvinenko was suicidal in the days and weeks before 1 November 2006. The evidence I heard on this issue was entirely consistent. He was not.

¶5.89 Marina Litvinenko gave evidence that her husband was busy and active during this

period. He was not depressed. In all the time that they had been together, she had not known him to be suicidal for a single day. She told me that she was absolutely sure that Mr Litvinenko had never thought of committing suicide.82

¶5.90 Mr Reilly said that the idea that Mr Litvinenko may have committed suicide was "utter nonsense". He explained this view in the following terms:

"Everything to live for, happy marriage, very fond of his son, British citizenship, he'd made the leap from [Russia]. Opportunities ahead of him. And although he'd had a row with Berezovsky, that seemed to have resolved itself. I think the state of Russia genuinely upset him, and the corruption and the rest of it… So he was still quite, I have to say bitter about that, but I would say quite the opposite of committing suicide; it was to stay alive long enough to nail some people, if he could, legitimately."⁸³⁸³ Marina Litvinenko 3/114 INQ019473; Scaramella 27/60-73 Reilly 10/29-30 Mascall 9/101 INQ019146 (page 27 paragraph 85)

¶5.91 Mr Goldfarb, Mr Attew and Mr Tabunov expressed views to a similar effect.84

¶5.92 I will, as I have said, address the issue of possible suicide when I come to reach my

final conclusions. But it can be said that none of Mr Litvinenko's friends and family who gave evidence provided any support at all for this theory. They were the ones who knew him, who were around him during the days and weeks before he fell ill, and none of them gave any credence to this idea.

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