Monday, October 4, 2010

'Merchant of Death' Viktor Bout back in Thai court

Alleged Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout is in court in Thailand for a hearing that may finally determine if he will be extradited to the US on terrorism charges.

Asked by reporters if he expected a fair trial, the 43-year-old former Soviet air force pilot said: "No."

The extradition was postponed in August after legal complications.

The US and Russia have been squabbling over his fate since his 2008 arrest in a joint Thai-US sting operation.

After more than 15 years of allegedly running guns to African warlords and Islamic militants, Mr Bout was arrested at a Bangkok hotel by US agents posing as Colombian Farc rebels, after he allegedly tried to sell them weapons.

Mr Bout, dubbed the Merchant of Death, is pleading not guilty to charges of conspiracy to sell arms to Colombian rebels.

He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.
'No obstacle'

An appeals court ordered Mr Bout's extradition on 20 August, and ruled that it must take place within three months.

However, it was postponed by a legal bottleneck over extra charges of money laundering and fraud, lodged by the US against Mr Bout in February.

Thai prosecutors are now requesting that these charges be dropped, in order to clear the way for an extradition.

"To my understanding, it is likely that the court will allow the second charges to be withdrawn, there is no obstacle," said Sirisak Tiyapan, director of international affairs at the Attorney General's Office.

The BBC's Alastair Leithead in Bangkok says Viktor Bout wants the charges to come to court because if the case can be dragged out for three months, the extradition order will expire and a two-and-a-half-year process will have to start all over again.


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