Sergei Skripal, the former Russian spy poisoned in Britain, wrote to President Vladimir Putin several years ago asking for a pardon for selling secrets to British intelligence, a friend told the BBC today.
Vladimir Timoshkov said his old school friend -- who had moved to Britain in a spy swap in 2010 -- had called him in 2012 revealing that he wanted to be allowed to visit Russia.
Moscow denied the claim, with the London embassy saying on Twitter: "There was no letter from Sergei Skripal to President Putin to allow him to come back to Russia."
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