Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal had written to Vladimir Putin asking
if he could return his home country before he was poisoned in Salisbury, a friend has said.
The former Russian intelligence officer, who came to Britain in 2010 as part of a spy swap,
regretted being a double agent and wanted to be pardoned so he could visit his family in Russia, Vladimir Timoshkov told the BBC.
Mr Sergei and his daughter Yulia remain in a critical condition after they were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok on 4 March.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sergei-skripal-vladimir-putin-nerve-agent-return-russia-pardon-a8271751.html