Thai court orders extradition of Russian arms dealer to U.S.
International arms dealer Viktor Bout, the so-called "Merchant of Death" named in February in a federal grand jury indictment in New York on charges of conspiring to finance an aircraft fleet to arm bloody conflicts and support rogue regimes worldwide, will be returned to the United States to stand trial, a court in Thailand ruled on Friday.
In overturning a lower court's decision that blocked his return, a Thai appeals court agreed with U.S.Mr. Bout, 43, should be returned to answer the accusations. He was being held in Thailand on a U.S. indictment handed up in 2008 accusing him of selling weapons to Marxist rebels in Colombia to kill Americans. prosecutors that
The U.S. government, which summoned the Thai ambassador in Washington this week to push for extradition, had considered the case as one of the nation's highest priorities, according to the State and Justice departments.
"We are extremely pleased that the appeals court in Thailand has granted the extradition of Viktor Bout to the United States on charges of conspiring to sell weapons to a terrorist organization for use in killing Americans," said Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler.
"We have always felt that the facts of the case, the relevant Thai law and the terms of our bilateral extradition treaty clearly supported the extradition of Mr. Bout on these charges," he said, adding that while the Bout prosecution was "of utmost priority to the United States," the criminal charges he faces are not solely an American concern.
"He has been sanctioned by the United Nations for alleged arms trafficking activity and support of armed conflicts in Africa," Mr. Grindler said.
Justice Department officials based at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok were in court to hear the verdict, and declined comment to the media. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov blasted the ruling, saying his country intended to have Mr. Bout returned to that country.
"This decision, according to the information that we have, was taken under very strong pressure from the outside. This is sad," Mr. Lavrov said, referring to the United States . "I assure you that we will continue to do everything necessary to obtain his return to the motherland."
Mr. Bout and an associate, Richard A. Chichakli, were accused of money-laundering, wire-fraud and of conspiring to purchase two aircraft from companies in the U.S. in violation of economic sanctions that prohibited such financial transactions.
According to the indictment, Mr. Bout carried out a massive weapons-trafficking business by assembling a fleet of cargo planes capable of transporting weapons and military equipment to various parts of the world, including Africa, South America and the Middle East.
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