Former GRU officer Sergei Skripal, convicted in the Russian Federation of treason, and his daughter Julia do not want to personally attend the hearings in the case of the death of the British Dawn Sturges as witnesses. This was stated during another preliminary hearing by Skripal's representative Jack Holborn, whose words are quoted in the transcript of the meeting sent to TASS on Friday.
According to the lawyer, his clients fear for their safety. They also believe that the evidence they have already provided to British police should be sufficient for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sturgis' death in Amesbury in the summer of 2018.
„No security measure is perfect,” said Holborn.
Meanwhile, members of the Sturgis family still want Skripal on the list of possible witnesses, even though they understand their concerns. They justify this desire with the fact that they themselves do not have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with Skripal's written testimony.
„I am inclined to wait until the content of the police interviews with Skripal and other material is revealed, and only then make a final decision about Skripal. “I clearly understand the degree of risk they will be exposed to, but if the need arises, we will consider it,” said the head of the public inquiry into the circumstances of the incident, former British High Court judge Anthony Hughes.