Viktor Kalashnikov
Encyclopedia
Viktor Kalashnikov is a Russian freelance journalist and a former KGB
colonel. In the autumn of 2010, he and his wife were treated in hospital in Germany for mercury poisoning
in what they said had been an attempt on their lives by Russia's FSB, the successor to the KGB. He is a distant relative of Mikhail Kalashnikov
, the inventor of the AK-47
.
since the 1990s. They left Russia and have lived in various countries, such as Ukraine, Poland, Estonia and now Germany. They claim to have been warned to cease their activities at various points in the 1990s and 2000s by KGB agents.
hospital had discovered that Kalashnikov who had been losing weight significantly, had 53.7 microgrammes of mercury
per litre of blood, while his wife had even more - 56 microgrammes (the safe level is between one and three microgrammes). Kalashnikov told the press that "Moscow poisoned us".
The case was compared with that of another former Russian security officer, Alexander Litvinenko
, who was murdered in London in 2006; he is believed to have been administered a radioactive polonium
isotope. The Kalashnikovs claimed that they were poisoned in hotels and private residences in Estonia
, Ukraine
, Poland
, Russia and Germany.
On December 28, 2010, The Times
reported that its journalistic investigation had led to a preliminary criminal inquiry being opened in Berlin, which was announced on December 27, 2010.
Later, German prosecutors have dropped an investigation. Spokesman for the state prosecutor's office in Berlin told the AFP news agency: "There is no evidence that they were poisoned, at least in Germany."
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
colonel. In the autumn of 2010, he and his wife were treated in hospital in Germany for mercury poisoning
Mercury poisoning
Mercury poisoning is a disease caused by exposure to mercury or its compounds. Mercury is a heavy metal occurring in several forms, all of which can produce toxic effects in high enough doses...
in what they said had been an attempt on their lives by Russia's FSB, the successor to the KGB. He is a distant relative of Mikhail Kalashnikov
Mikhail Kalashnikov
Lieutenant General Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov is a Russian small arms designer, most famous for designing the AK-47 assault rifle, the AKM and the AK-74.-Early life:...
, the inventor of the AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
.
Activities
Kalashnikov and his wife have been publishing articles critical of the KremlinKremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
since the 1990s. They left Russia and have lived in various countries, such as Ukraine, Poland, Estonia and now Germany. They claim to have been warned to cease their activities at various points in the 1990s and 2000s by KGB agents.
Poisoning and investigation
In November 2010, it was reported that the doctors at Berlin's CharitéCharité
The Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin is the medical school for both the Humboldt University and the Free University of Berlin. After the merger with their fourth campus in 2003, the Charité is one of the largest university hospitals in Europe....
hospital had discovered that Kalashnikov who had been losing weight significantly, had 53.7 microgrammes of mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
per litre of blood, while his wife had even more - 56 microgrammes (the safe level is between one and three microgrammes). Kalashnikov told the press that "Moscow poisoned us".
The case was compared with that of another former Russian security officer, Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko was an officer who served in the Soviet KGB and its Russian successor, the Federal Security Service ....
, who was murdered in London in 2006; he is believed to have been administered a radioactive polonium
Polonium
Polonium is a chemical element with the symbol Po and atomic number 84, discovered in 1898 by Marie Skłodowska-Curie and Pierre Curie. A rare and highly radioactive element, polonium is chemically similar to bismuth and tellurium, and it occurs in uranium ores. Polonium has been studied for...
isotope. The Kalashnikovs claimed that they were poisoned in hotels and private residences in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Russia and Germany.
On December 28, 2010, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported that its journalistic investigation had led to a preliminary criminal inquiry being opened in Berlin, which was announced on December 27, 2010.
Later, German prosecutors have dropped an investigation. Spokesman for the state prosecutor's office in Berlin told the AFP news agency: "There is no evidence that they were poisoned, at least in Germany."
See also
- Karinna MoskalenkoKarinna MoskalenkoKarinna Akopovna Moskalenko , is Russia’s leading human rights lawyer, defending, amongst others, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Garry Kasparov and Alexander Litvinenko...
- lawyer who claims to have been poisoned with mercury by the Russian authorities