A critical section of the long-awaited public inquiry into the Novichok death of Dawn Sturgess is to remain secret for potentially a century, a judge has ruled, citing grave risks to national security.
Closed Evidence and National Security
Lord Hughes, the retired Supreme Court judge who led the inquiry, announced his findings in London on Thursday. His 174-page report, which cost £8 million, contains a sealed segment that cannot be made public. He stated this was due to "the damage which might be done to national security and the risk of harm which might be occasioned to some individuals if it were to be published."
The inquiry heard seven weeks of evidence, including classified testimony presented behind closed doors over several days in a secret London government building. Witnesses included Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Commander Dominic Murphy and a Porton Down scientist known only as MK26. Others involved in decisions about double agent Sergei Skripal's security also gave evidence under restriction orders.
Lord Hughes endorsed the requirement for this material to stay closed, confirming he had reviewed it with care. The final decision on whether it is ever released rests with the Home Secretary.
Putin's 'Moral Responsibility' for an Innocent Death
The inquiry concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "morally responsible" for the death of Dawn Sturgess, a 44-year-old mother of three. She died in July 2018 after spraying what she believed was perfume from a discarded bottle, which actually contained the military-grade nerve agent Novichok.
Lord Hughes found overwhelming evidence that the attempted assassination of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal four months earlier was a Russian state attack, authorised at the highest level. "I have concluded that the operation to assassinate Sergei Skripal must have been authorised at the highest level by President Putin," he said.
He stated that all those involved, including the three GRU agents—Alexander Petrov, Ruslan Boshirov, and Sergey Fedotov—and anyone who authorised or assisted them, were morally responsible for Dawn Sturgess's death. The agents showed "recklessness" in leaving the poison on a door handle and "greater recklessness still" in abandoning the remainder, which ultimately killed Ms Sturgess.
Family's Criticism and Unanswered Questions
Reacting to the report, Dawn Sturgess's family expressed profound disappointment that it contained no recommendations for future change. In a statement read on their behalf, they said the findings left them with "a number of unanswered questions."
They criticised the UK government's failure to adequately assess the risk to Sergei Skripal, who had been labelled a traitor by Putin. "Adequate risk assessment of Skripal was not done... That is a serious concern, for us now, and for the future," the family stated. They believe this failure put the British public at risk and led to Dawn's death.
The family also criticised Wiltshire Police for initially mischaracterising Dawn and the lack of public health warnings about the Novichok contamination before she died. "Our heartfelt aim throughout this long process has always been to do right by our daughter, mother and sister Dawn," they said.
Lord Hughes exonerated British authorities of blame for failing to prevent the attack on Skripal, stating that only completely hiding him could have stopped a professionally mounted nerve agent attack. Skripal had declined recommended security measures, including CCTV, not wanting to live under surveillance.
The three suspected GRU agents, whose real names are believed to be Alexander Mishkin, Anatoliy Chepiga, and Denis Sergeev, are subject to a global arrest warrant. Russia denies involvement and refuses to extradite them.
