In the 2005 Nicholas Cage movie "Lord of War," a character roughly based on Russian weapons dealer Viktor Bout was saved by the CIA in an American law enforcement agency. Avoiding trackers.
But in reality, in 2008, the US government launched an elaborate operation to capture and prosecute a match called the "Death Merchant." He was said to be one of the largest illegal weapons distributors in the world.
Now, his US lawyer says Moscow wants to exchange him for an American held in Russia. Imprisonment.
"It's not really complicated," said Steve Zissou, who represents Bout.
Given the gap between Bout's case legally convicted of a serious crime andGreener, whether the United States should succumb to Blackmail , Potential exchanges have caused controversy. A person who faces the accumulated Russian judicial system and is considered hostage by US authorities. Zissou said Paul Whelan, whose family has been imprisoned in Russia for fake spying since 2018, may also be involved in the deal.
"I will undertake the deal," said former US ambassador Michael McFall. Under federal ruling rules, a match could be released from prison within five years. The
match, 55,was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison in 2012 after being convicted of selling weapons to Colombian rebels. Since then, the Russian government has demanded his release, saying he was unfairly targeted.
After the ruling, Attorney General Eric Holder called Bout "one of the most prolific arms dealers in the world," and a U.S. lawyer at Preet Barara in Manhattan, New York, said "international." It was a weapon. " Over the years, he has trafficked the number one enemy and armed some of the most fierce conflicts in the world. Amnesty International says it has sold its weapons to authorized human rights violators in Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The match of a former Soviet military officer who became rich as a weapons merchant has always remained innocent.
Experts don't understand why Moscow wants to bring him back so badly. Some US government officials say he has a connection with Russian intelligence.
Russia's national press, Tass, reported in May that "discussion is underway" between the United States and Russia about exchanging matches with Griner, but U.S. officials said. I haven't confirmed it.
After years of U.S. pursuit, the Drug Control Agency trapped Bout with elaborate stings, along with an agent disguised as a Colombian rebel who was designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization. .. After they completed a large arms deal in a hotel room in Bangkok, Bout said, "Gringo is an enemy," according to the sting description in New Yorker's 2012 article. rice field. "For me, it's not a business. It's my fight."
After a while, an armed agent broke through the door and arrested him.
Zissou says the whole operation was unfair because Bout retired and lived in Moscow.
U.S. district judge Shira Shindrin, who presided over the case, agreed.
"But there is no reason to believe that Bout committed the accused crime of the approach taken through this decisive stab operation," she said in a judgment, {55. } So she has a minimum requirement for him.
