Global Geopolitical Series: Russia sends 13 key questions to OPCW demanding answers over Skripal poisoning

Russia has sent a list of 13 questions to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) demanding answers for clarity over the allegations that Russia was involved in the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, who worked as a double agent for the UK until his capture in 2006. Mr. Skripal, who has been residing in Britain since his return to the UK in 2010 as a part of spy exchange program, was poisoned on March 4th along with his daughter Yulia using a banned chemical substance known as Novichok, which was first manufactured in the former Soviet Union.

Here are all the 13 questions sent to OPCW by Russia and also to the foreign departments of the UK and France,

1. What kind of assistance has London requested from the Tech-secretariat of the OPCW?

2. Does the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW intend to share in due course with the Executive Board, including, of course, with Russia, the information that the British provide to the Technical Secretariat in their interaction under paragraph 38 (e) of Art. VIII of the Convention (technical assessment in the implementation of the provisions of this Convention, including assessment of scheduled and unlisted chemicals)?

3. Did the British side send any additional information to the Technical Secretariat on its own national investigation (operational, medical, legal, etc.)?

4. What exactly do the British ask to confirm the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW: is it only the fact of using a nerve agent, or is it a "newbie" type according to the western classification?

5. What kind of data and material evidence did the British provide to the Tech-secretariat (sample samples, results of own analysis of samples, other evidence)?

6. Who led the OPCW Expert Group that visited the UK? What experts are included in its composition? How long did they work? Who did they interact with?

7. What was the sampling procedure, was the basic principle of the CWC observed in investigations (the so-called "chain of custody")?

8. Which certified laboratories will analyze the samples received by the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW during the visit of its experts to the UK?

9. How long will the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW be required to prepare an appropriate opinion?

10. Did the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW agree to the disclosure by the UK of the investigation materials to the EU countries (according to available information, France has fully joined the investigation)?

11. Did France notify the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW of its involvement in the technical assistance requested by the United Kingdom?

12. Has France transmitted the materials of its own investigation (if any) to the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW?

13. Can the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW provide Russia with the materials of the French investigation (if any) for reviewing its results? If not, why?

Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the Skripal poisoning and lately has been blaming the UK for staging the attack itself to rally British people against Russia and to divert attention from the failed Brexit negotiations. Its repeated request for proofs and samples of the poison were denied by British authorities.