FBI tells Russian defectors not to live in the UK because they’ll get whacked by Putin… but admits he’d never dare try it in the US
THE FBI is warning Russian defectors not to flee to the UK because Vladimir Putin has no fears of killing them on British soil, it is claimed.
It's understood they are instead being told to seek political asylum in the US, where Putin is too scared to carry out political assassinations.
A history of suspected Russian assassinations on British soil dates back to at least 2003, suggesting Putin is comfortable killing at will in the UK.
Although the latest attempted assassination on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia has sparked a diplomatic row, it remains to be seen if this will prevent further attacks.
Clive Stafford-Smith, one of Britain's leading human rights lawyers, dubbed Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson "paper tigers".
He told The Sun Online: "I talked to a series of Russian opponents to Putin, who said all sorts of things, one of which was the FBI had been really friendly and there was some threat to the US but not much because he wouldn't dare do it here, but don't go to the UK because he was doing it really regularly there.
"I think in large part Theresa May when she was Home Secretary, and now as Prime Minister, she was loathe to take on Putin, because she was scared of him."
One such dissenter - currently living in the US under FBI protection - told The Sun Online that he applied for political asylum in the US because it was "the safest place for the Russian oppositionist".
The defector, who has not been named due to fears for his safety, added: "In the US, I feel much safer than in Europe. But even in the US, I try to follow certain safety rules."
Terrified of the sudden deaths, falls, and poisoning fates to befall many other dissidents in Russia, he initially tried living in other eastern European countries.
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But aside from Russia itself, it is in eastern Europe that his feared FSB agents are most active.
"Abroad only people who are very dangerous for the Russian regime are killed. In Russia, at any time, any oppositionist can be killed or injured.
"If I stayed in Russia, then I would have only two choices: to stop my opposition activities or to go to jail, or to be injured.
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