US urges Russia to investigate poisoning case

Washington, Mar 9: The United States urged Moscow today to quickly investigate the suspected poisoning in Russia of two US citizens with thallium, a highly toxic metal that can cause a slow, painful death.

''As the US government we want to ensure that our citizens have answers to the questions that obviously came up -- how did this happen?,'' said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack of the suspected poisoning of the mother and daughter.

''We will be checking in with Russia for progress (on the investigation),'' he told reporters.

The two US citizens, identified by the US embassy in Moscow as Marina and Yana Kovalevsky, were initially hospitalized in Moscow and returned to Los Angeles yesterday. McCormack said he did not know their condition.

Thallium was originally suspected in the murder in London last year of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who was later found to have died of poisoning by polonium.

Russian media said Marina Kovalevsky and her daughter emigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union in the 1980s but frequently visited Russia.

The United States has in recent months tackled Russia over a series of human rights issues, from the deaths of journalists to complaints over a new law for foreign aid groups.

Washington has been pressing Moscow to solve the murder of US journalist Paul Klebnikov, the editor of the Russian ediction of Forbes Magazine who was shot in the Russian capital more than two years ago.

Reuters