Sue Hemming, CPS director of legal services, said: "Prosecutors from CPS counter terrorism division have considered the evidence and have concluded there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and it is clearly in the public interest to charge Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, who are Russian nationals."
“Those offences include conspiracy to murder Sergei Skripal; the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal, Yulia Skripal and Nick Bailey; the use and possession of novichok contrary to the Chemical Weapons Act; and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Yulia Skripal and Nick Bailey.
"A realistic prospect of conviction means the CPS is satisfied on an objective assessment that the evidence can be used in court and that an objective, impartial and reasonable jury hearing the case, properly directed and acting in accordance with the law, is more likely than not to convict these two individuals of the charges," Hemming said.
"It is of course for a jury to decide whether the evidence is enough for them to be sure of the suspects guilt. We will not be applying to Russia for the extradition of these men as the Russian constitution does not permit extradition of its own nationals. Russia has made this clear following requests for extradition in other cases. Should this position change then an extradition request would be made.
“We have, however, obtained a European arrest warrant, which means that if either man travels to a country where an EAW is valid, they will be arrested and face extradition on these charges for which there is no statute of limitations."
The news comes after two separate poisonings involving novichok.
The use of the Russian military grade poison on British soil strained
already tense relations between London and Moscow. The first use of novichok came in March and targeted the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in their Salisbury home. Police officer DS Nick Bailey was also treated in hospital after the attack.
Skripal had been regarded by Vladimir Putin’s regime as a traitor for selling state secrets and then defecting to Britain. They were both left seriously ill but survived.
Then on 30 June a man and woman wholly unconnected to Russia and the world of espionage were struck down.
Dawn Sturgess, 44, died around nine days after she and Charlie Rowley, 45, were believed to have been exposed to novichok, with both falling ill at their home in Amesbury. Wiltshire.
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