Andrey Lugovoy, Russian businessman who is to stand in the State Duma elections for the Liberal Democrats, joined RT to comment on his decision to take up politics.

Russia Today: You’ve suffered from politics, if that can be said to be so. Why have you decided to take it up anyway?
 
Andrey Lugovoy: I’ve been dealing with politics for the last ten months since my name appeared on the pages of newspapers in connection with the so-called Litvinenko case. And I think the British government did all that was possible for me to become a politician. They politicised the situation to the maximum from the very beginning.  I haven’t made any attempts to stir it up on my own. And when I found myself in the midst of this political debate and understood what happened to my members of my family, friends and partners – I realised that only politics could help restore justice to me or any other Russian citizen who found himself in such a situation.
 
RT: When you become a deputy of the State Duma you will also get immunity from prosecution. But you remain accused in the UK over the Litvinenko case. Do you think the immunity will come in handy?
 
A.L.: I have not thought about it, I say that honestly. Firstly, immunity is granted to me by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.  Secondly, the UK could launch any amount of cases against Russian citizens. Immunity would be a factor if there were cases against me in Russia.  As far as I know, no criminal cases have been mounted against me. But there are some cases in which I’m a witness and some cases that were launched on my initiative. Due to statements I made at a news briefing, an espionage case was launched connected with the work of the British intelligence service in Russia. I see nothing bad in it.
 
RT: There are a lot of political parties in Russia. Why did you choose this one – the Liberal Democratic Party?

A.L.: Because starting from the first day of what was happening to me, it was obvious in what way this party defends a Russian citizen, in the person of Andrey Lugovoy. From the very first day I felt their support and it was very pleasant for me. This party did not react to what was happening with me depending on the development of the situation. It responded in the way its leader announced – the protection of a Russian citizen – and I am very grateful to the LDPR party for its stand.  I am glad that I appeared on this party’s candidate list and I think I will be useful for Russia being a member of this party.