Alexander Litvinenko was executed. In demonstrating way. His executioners have chosen for him intentionally slow death. Was Litvinenko really traitor to his motherland? No. He wasn’t a spy. He never worked outside Russian territory, he didn’t know the names and whereabouts of Russian agents in the West, so he couldn’t betray anybody. He was internal security officer. He was executed not for betrayal of Motherland, he was executed for betrayal of his corporation: FSB.
On November 18, 1998 Litvinenko, with a handful of officers, organized televised press-conference in which FSB officers revealed that inside FSB is functioning a murder squad. Officers named the names of commanders of this murder squad. Litvinenko was one of the agents at this press conference. He said that he have received the order to kill the head of Russia’s National Security Council, which in 1998 was Boris Beresovski. Litvinenko was arrested in 1999, was held at Lefortovo prison, released, arrested again, held at Butirski prison… Finally he escaped first to Turkey, then to Great Britain. There he wrote two books: “FSB blowing up Russia,” about the 1999 apartment bombings, accusing the FSB. He also wrote a book: “Lubianka’s criminal organization.” For all that he was finally punished in November 2006 in London. Another participant of that press conference was Michael Trepashkin, now serving four years sentence. Few times Trepashkin warned that he might be killed.