+ -

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union

Submitted on 2018-04-04 17:24:49

List of questions by the Russian party to the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat regarding the “Skripals case” fabricated by the UK against Russia

---

On 1 April the Permanent Representation of the Russian Federation to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) sent the following list of questions regarding the “Skripals case” fabricated by the UK against Russia to the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation:

1. What kind of assistance has London requested from the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat?

2. Will the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat, acting in accordance with the established procedure, share information provided by the UK to the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat as per Article VIII para. 38 (е) of the Convention (“technical evaluation in the implementation of the provisions of this Convention, including evaluation of scheduled and unscheduled chemicals”) with the Executive Council, including, of course, with Russia?

3. Has the British party provided the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat with any additional information (intelligence data, medical, legal information, etc.) obtained through its own national investigation?

4. What exactly do the British ask the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat to confirm: the fact of the use of a nerve-paralytic substance, or that it is referred to as “Novichok” according to the Western classification?

5. What kind of data and material evidence have the British provided to the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat (samples, the results of their own analysis of these samples, any other evidence)?

6. Who headed the OPCW group of experts that visited Britain? What kind of specialists were involved? How long did they work? Who did they interact with?

7. What procedure was used to collect samples? Was the process carried out in compliance with the fundamental investigation principle stipulated by the CWC (also known as the “chain of custody”)?

8. Which certified laboratories will analyse the samples obtained by the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat in the course of its experts’ visit to the UK?

9. How much time will it take the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat to reach the relevant conclusions?

10. Has the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat authorised the disclosure of the investigative materials by the UK to the EU countries (according to available information, France has become fully involved in the investigation)?

11. Has France notified the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat of its involvement in the technical assistance requested by the UK?

12. Has France provided the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat with materials of its own investigation, should such materials exist?

13. Can the OPCW’s Technical Secretariat provide the French investigative materials, should such materials exist, to Russia so that it could examine its conclusions? If not, why?