Thai prosecutors appeal Victor Bout's extradition

BANGKOK: -- Thai prosecutors have lodged an appeal to counter an earlier lower court ruling which rejected a U.S. request to extradite suspected arms trader Viktor Bout to stand trial in that country, according to Sirisak Tiyapan, Director-General of the Office of the Attorney-General’s Department of Foreign Litigation.

Mr. Bout, 42, dubbed the "Merchant of Death" for his arms trading, was arrested at a Bangkok hotel in March last year. The earlier Thai court ruling said the charges were political and not punishable by Thai law.

The Bangkok Criminal Court on Tuesday rejected the extradition request but prosecutors on Thursday filed an appeal.

Thai law stipulates that prosecutors must file an appeal within 30 days, starting from August 11, if the ruling is to be overturned, Mr. Sirisak said.

In filing the appeal, the prosecutors asserted that it was carried out within the terms of the Thai-US extradition treaty and did not violate any rights of the accused.

Mr. Bout’s lawyer said he would study the prosecution’s appeal, which automatically keeps his client in prison for at least another 30 days.

The lawyer also said he might consider filing the case at the World Court in Geneva, charging that Thailand’s court procedures had caused his client to lose his freedom and that he is unable to continue performing his business.

The Thai government may be liable to pay a significant amount of money in compensation, said the lawyer.

Mr. Bout has been indicted on four terrorism-related charges in New York and could face life imprisonment. He denies the charges and insists that he ran a legitimate air cargo business.

-- TNA 2009-08-15

Thai prosecutors appeal Victor Bout's extradition

BANGKOK: -- Thai prosecutors have lodged an appeal to counter an earlier lower court ruling which rejected a U.S. request to extradite suspected arms trader Viktor Bout to stand trial in that country, according to Sirisak Tiyapan, Director-General of the Office of the Attorney-General’s Department of Foreign Litigation.

Mr. Bout, 42, dubbed the "Merchant of Death" for his arms trading, was arrested at a Bangkok hotel in March last year. The earlier Thai court ruling said the charges were political and not punishable by Thai law.

The Bangkok Criminal Court on Tuesday rejected the extradition request but prosecutors on Thursday filed an appeal.

Thai law stipulates that prosecutors must file an appeal within 30 days, starting from August 11, if the ruling is to be overturned, Mr. Sirisak said.

In filing the appeal, the prosecutors asserted that it was carried out within the terms of the Thai-US extradition treaty and did not violate any rights of the accused.

Mr. Bout’s lawyer said he would study the prosecution’s appeal, which automatically keeps his client in prison for at least another 30 days.

The lawyer also said he might consider filing the case at the World Court in Geneva, charging that Thailand’s court procedures had caused his client to lose his freedom and that he is unable to continue performing his business.

The Thai government may be liable to pay a significant amount of money in compensation, said the lawyer.

Mr. Bout has been indicted on four terrorism-related charges in New York and could face life imprisonment. He denies the charges and insists that he ran a legitimate air cargo business.

-- TNA 2009-08-15

Let Viktor Go! It was a positive mood at the courthouse (for most of the observers) when the US extradition was denied... but, here we go again....

If I am correct, Viktor has been imprisoned since 6 March 2008, that's 17 months. And now he's been remanded into custody for another month.

I would be interested to know if remand prisoners have any better conditions than convicted prisoners. Is there a specific remand centre or are all prisoners just locked up together?

Hello, can they prosecute Bout at the World Court or is this a US thing? Maybe they have enough evidence to prove the sale of arms was not within United Nations guidelines, and he is complicit in the murders of thousands in many countries.

Uncle Sam always gets his Man!!