Russian Embassy Slams UK Coroner For Linking Amesbury Poisoning Inquiry To Salisbury Case

The Russian embassy in London criticized Carol Hallett, the coroner for the inquest into the suspected poisoning of a British woman in Amesbury, for expanding the probe to explore Russia's alleged role

LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st March, 2021) The Russian embassy in London criticized Carol Hallett, the coroner for the inquest into the suspected poisoning of a British woman in Amesbury, for expanding the probe to explore Russia's alleged role.

Hallett presides over the inquiry into the July 2018 death of Dawn Sturgess from what is believed to be poisoning with a war-grade toxin allegedly used to attack former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in nearby Salisbury in March of that same year.

"A normal probe that uses existing international legal mechanisms ... has been replaced by quasi-judicial proceedings.

It has no formal connection to the incident in Salisbury but we have no doubt that it will be used to churn out a series of justifications of ungrounded accusations leveled by UK authorities against Russia," a spokesman for the diplomatic mission said.

The UK government claims that two Russian military intelligence agents attacked the Skripals on the order of the Russian state. Russia has denied this.

Dawn Sturgess and her partner Charlie Rowley found a perfume bottle allegedly containing the nerve agent in a bin and fell ill shortly afterwards. Rowley eventually recovered, while Sturgess died at a hospital in Salisbury.