Thailand Ensures Fairness For The Merchant Of Death

[george]

Thailand ensures fairness for the Merchant of Death

BANGKOK: -- Thailand ensured Friday fairness of suspected Russian arm dealer Viktor Bout under the Thai laws.

Bout, who has been dubbed "The Merchant of Death," pleaded to Moscow in a televised statement from a Thai prison to help secure his release.

Foreign Ministry's spokesman Tharit Charungvat said in a statement that the Thai authorities have treated him with respect and have acted to ensure his physical health and safety while in custody.

He has been permitted to communicate with his counsel, whenever he was questioned by the authorities.

-- The Nation 2008-04-12

[TopDogger]

Must be costing him a pretty penny.

[sibeymai]

Probably very little. If the Russian Foreign Office is backing him up he's got some friends in high places. Thai charges are already dropped. He'll probably leave Thailand with a personal apology from the Thai PM, a complimentary Elite card and a free condo in Pattaya.

Edited April 12, 2008 by sibeymai

[TopDogger]

So hes not being handed over to the septics any time soon?

[Kerryd]

It's not likely he'll be handed over to the US any time soon, especially after the previous debacle when they (allegedly) tried to force him onto a plane to sneak him out of the country (which apparently is a violation of his rights, even in Thailand).

As I've mentioned in the other thread, I think Thailand has been scrambling for a way to wash it's hands of this mess ever since they arrested Mr Bout. First they arrest him while he was (at the time) legally in the country, at the behest of a foreign law enforcement agency. To keep him in jail, they revoke his visa and then charge him with being in the country illegally (those charges were suddenly dropped recently).

Now they are working on extradition procedures, but to extradite him to where ?

I think a few rubles will exchange hands and Mr Bout will be deported to his homeland, where he will quietly disappear for awhile before reappearing (with a new name/identity, but same business).

Who knows, this time next year the good old USA, that wants to prosecute him now, may be (again) contracting him to do some work for them.

[elektrified]

Why treat him any different than any of the other inmates? I don't understand that.

[astral]

......... pleaded to Moscow in a televised statement from a Thai prison to help secure his release.

<deleted>

Press conferences from jail?

[Tony Clifton]

Picture bulging uniform pockets.