Family call for Putin to give evidence at Novichok inquiry - BBC News

Summary

A public inquiry has begun in Salisbury to examine the 2018 poisoning of Dawn Sturgess
It has heard she was the innocent victim "in the crossfire of an illegal and outrageous assassination attempt"
Sturgess' death was blamed on two Russian agents after she came into contact with the nerve agent Novichok
Novichok victim and former Russian spy Sergei Skripal says Vladimir Putin is behind the poisonings
The family of Dawn Sturgess has called for Putin to give evidence at the inquiry and look the "family in the eyes"
The nerve agent had been hidden inside a designer perfume bottle that held enough Novichok to kill thousands
Russia denies any involvement and has described the inquiry as a "circus"
Find out more about the inquiry in our Crime Next Door: Salisbury Poisonings podcast on BBC Sounds

Live Reporting

Edited by Chris Kelly and James Harness

Timeline of events leading to the inquirypublished at 10:00 British Summer Time
To understand the significance of the public inquiry, it’s important to trace the events that led up to this moment.
In March 2018, Sergei and Yulia Skripal were poisoned with Novichok in Salisbury, effectively shutting down the city and sparking international outcry.
Then, as things were finally getting back to normal, Dawn Sturgess and her partner Charlie Rowley were exposed to the same nerve agent.
While Rowley survived, Sturgess passed away on 8 July 2018.
- A full timeline of the poisonings
Inquiry into Dawn Sturgess poisoning to beginpublished at 09:57 British Summer Time
Image source, Reuters
Welcome to our live coverage of the public inquiry into the death of Wiltshire woman Dawn Sturgess.
Sturgess was killed six years ago in a poisoning blamed on Russian agents.
The inquiry will examine the circumstances behind the Novichok attack in Salisbury in 2018, and try to establish where responsibility lies and highlight any lessons.
Monday’s session will begin at 11:00 BST with a day of opening statements.