Skripal Might Want to Return to Russia, but Was Likely Prevented by UK - Journo

Sputnik spoke to British journalist Mary Dejevsky and asked her what she made of this Guardian report, one year on after the case began.

Sputnik: What do you make of this Guardian report, one year on after the case began?

Mary Dejevsky: It was interesting that this report came out today, I think by the Press Association and The Guardian, citing intelligence reports about unusual activity at the Russian Embassy, because like all such reports based on intelligence, they're hopelessly incomplete, because you would expect reports based on intelligence that somewhere in these reports the information would say "OK, unusual movement, unusual activity, who was actually there, what time, how many people etc."…

But the way it is passed to the media, it is in these very indefinite terms, sort of tantalizing, tweaking the imagination, without giving chapter and verse. This is so characteristic of intelligence information that is leaked or provided deliberately to the media.

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Sputnik: Why has there been so little attempt by the mainstream media to analyse or investigate the UK government's allegations?

Mary Dejevsky: I have to say that personally, I've been very surprised at the lack of critique in the mainstream media. I think there's been a little on Channel 4, a little on SKY News, but most of the press hasn't really tackled it. I think that the British government, at least the authorities, have been incredibly successful in the way they have simply refused to answer questions.

Basically, they have handled the information on their own terms. They've decided to put out little titbits of information now and again like the CCTV, the camera footage of the supposed Russian agents in Salisbury or going through the airport. This has been done entirely on official terms and if you ask any questions about it, you get stonewalled.

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Sputnik: Media said that the official UK version, although, to many, could seem plausible because of its simplicity, was however problematic and perhaps the UK had a different role in the case from the one it is putting across…

Mary Dejevsky: I would suggest that Sergei Skripal wanted to go back to Russia — at its most basic — let's say he wanted to go back to Russia because he was homesick in the UK, because he lost his wife, because his elderly mother was ill in Russia; you can think of a lot of reasons why he would want to go home.

You then have to ask, why was he simply not allowed to go back to Russia? Maybe Sergei wanted to go back to Russia, but the British didn't want to let him go back to Russia and wanted to stop him going, at least to stop him going then. Then you have to ask why? Was it because of the information he was privy to in the UK about the working state of UK intelligence or was it some information that he had?

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.