This Russian arms dealer once inspired a Nicolas Cage movie. He could now help bring Brittney Griner home in a prisoner swap
, as some reports suggest, it would add to the lore around a charismatic arms dealer the U.S. has imprisoned for over a decade.Depending on the source, Bout is a swashbuckling businessman unjustly imprisoned after an overly aggressive U.S. sting operation, or a peddler of weapons whose sales fueled some of the world’s worst conflicts.
Bout has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence, saying he’s a legitimate businessman and didn’t sell weapons. He’s had plenty of support from high-level Russian officials since he was first arrested. A Russian parliament member testified when Bout was fighting extradition from Thailand to the U.S. Last month, Russia’s human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said: “We very much hope that our compatriot Viktor Bout will return to his homeland.”The Long, Violent History of the Russian Prison Where the American Accused Spy Is Being Held
“If you asked me today: ‘Do you think 10 years would be a fair sentence,’ I would say ‘yes,’” Scheindlin said.
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