Spies could be compelled to give evidence to Litvinenko inquest British and Russian spies could be compelled to give evidence at the inquest into the death of Alexander Litvinenko. The 43-year-old died of radioactive polonium-210 poisoning after meeting fellow former KGB contacts for tea at a Mayfair hotel in November 2006. The inquest is due to be held next year and today, at a preparatory hearing, lawyers for his widow Marina called for both MI6 and the FSB (the Federal Security Service successor to the KGB) to be invited to participate as interested parties in the hearing. The hearing before High Court judge Sir Robert Owen, appointed as an Assistant Deputy Coroner for the case, heard that both the British and Russian governments had been dragging their heels in cooperating. Despite being asked to disclose documents in January, Hugh Davies counsel for the coroner's legal team said the British government had yet to pass on all the required information. Neil Garnham QC, representing Home Secretary Theresa May as an "umbrella organisation" for other government departments said full disclosure was about to be conclude. Meanwhile, the hearing was told that the Russian government had failed to take up an invitation to take part in the inquest made earlier this year. Upon hearing that such a request might have to be made to an agency rather than a state, Maya Sikand, representing Marina Litvinenko, said the invitation should be extended to both the FSB as well as MI6. The case was adjourned until December for a fuller preparatory hearing.