The public inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, a British woman fatally poisoned by the Russian nerve agent Novichok in 2018, officially opened on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, at The Guildhall in Salisbury. Sturgess, 44, died after unknowingly being exposed to the chemical agent, which was hidden in a discarded perfume bottle in Amesbury, Wiltshire, in July 2018. Her partner, Charlie Rowley, found the bottle and gave it to her. Rowley survived, but Sturgess died several days later.
Sturgess’s poisoning followed a high-profile attack in March 2018 in nearby Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were also poisoned by Novichok. Both survived, as did police officer Nick Bailey, who was exposed while investigating the Skripal case. British authorities have accused Russian intelligence officers of carrying out the Salisbury attack under orders from the Russian government.
During the inquiry’s opening statements, lead counsel Andrew O’Connor KC said the perfume bottle Rowley found contained enough Novichok to kill thousands of people. O’Connor described Sturgess as an innocent victim caught in the “crossfire” of an international assassination attempt. He condemned those responsible for discarding the poison-laden bottle with “grotesque disregard for human life.”
British authorities have issued international arrest warrants for three Russian men believed to be involved in the poisonings. Russia has refused to extradite the suspects, citing constitutional protections that prevent its citizens from being tried abroad. The suspects, who deny involvement, appeared on Russian state media in 2018, claiming they were in Salisbury as tourists visiting the city’s cathedral.
The inquiry, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Lord Hughes of Ombersley, will examine Sturgess’s death as well as the broader implications of the Novichok attacks. Key issues include whether the UK government and security services could have done more to prevent the attack and protect the public. Sturgess’s family has demanded answers regarding the government’s failure to recognize the threat posed by the discarded nerve agent, which remained in a public area for months.
Due to concerns for their safety, the Skripals will not testify in person, and some evidence from British intelligence services will be heard in secret. Michael Mansfield KC, representing Sturgess’s family, raised concerns during the inquiry about whether authorities adequately addressed the risk Skripal posed to the community. He questioned whether the UK government should have better anticipated the fallout from the assassination attempt on Skripal, a known target of the Russian state.
The 2018 poisonings led to significant diplomatic repercussions, including UN sanctions and the largest diplomatic expulsions between the UK and Russia since the Cold War. Russia has consistently denied responsibility, calling the UK’s accusations “preposterous.”
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