Thai Court Rules Today On Viktor Bout Extradition

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MERCHANT OF DEATH

Court rules today on Bout extradition

By The Nation

If judges say he must be handed over to US, he can appeal and stay longer in Thailand; he wants MPs to review verdicts

The Criminal Court will rule today on whether suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout should be extradited to the United States for money laundering and fraud.

The court yesterday rejected a request by the Attorney General to drop the charge against him but it will make a ruling today, instead.

If the court rules that Bout must face extradition for the second charge, he has the right to appeal the decision in accordance with the law and thus would have to stay in Thailand longer.

Bout - one of the world's most prolific arms dealers, dubbed "the Merchant of Death" - has been detained in Bangkok prisons since a US-led sting operation at a hotel in Silom in March 2008.

A former Soviet airforce officer, Bout was accused of doing arm deals with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which the United States classifies as a terrorist organisation, as well as many other groups that smuggle arms.

The Thai appeal court ruled in August that Bout be extradited to the US within 90 days, as requested by Washington on the terrorism charge for his alleged role in fuelling armed conflicts in places such as South America, the Middle East and Africa.

The decision was a diplomatic dilemma for Abhisit Vejjajiva's government, as Moscow strongly opposes the extradition and has pressed for its citizen to be released.

The government has been leaning to legal technicality over the past month to reduce the pressure. Washington filed many requests to secure the extradition but such tactic stalled the process as the extradition for the first case would not be made before the second request was reviewed.

Bout's lawyer opposed the request to drop the second case in order to prolong the trail in the court and delay the extradition.

Article 35 of the Penal Code Procedure prohibits the case from being dropped if the request is opposed by the defendant.

Bout appeared in the court yesterday in prisoner's orange uniform with a dozen of armed commandos. He wore bullet prove vest and was chained with ankle shackle.

Bout said he has time to defend himself against the extradition since the criminal court dismissed the request to drop his second case.

"Now there's time to prove the partiality and inappropriateness of the charges brought against me, which are also related to my first case," Bout told Russian news agency Itar-Tass, "I have nothing to do either with the Tajik airline or other cases the United States charged me with. My defence and I are ready to prove my innocence."

Bout said that the situation was "unpredictable," but that "if the case is reviewed under legal norms, it might be possible to win it."

Politicians from both the government and opposition sides also made the case a bit more complicated as they separately met him in prison and claimed they got 'useful' information from Bout to bluff each other for political gain.

Bout wrote an open letter to the parliament yesterday asking the legislative body to set up a special commission to review his case as the Appeal Court made the decision to extradite him to the US under political pressure. He said he has never sent weapons to any group but ran only legitimated cargo business.

-- The Nation 2010-10-05

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has been detained in Bangkok prisons since a US-led sting operation at a hotel in Silom in March 2008.

A former Soviet airforce officer, Bout was accused of doing arm deals with (agents posing as) the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC

someone new to the story might think he actually did sell arms to farc

[Briggsy]

And the bandwagon rolls on. Anyone familiar with Thai stalling tactics (like the Saudis) should tell Viktor he needs to start resigning himself to another 2 and a half years held on dubious extradition charges and even more dubious denials of bail while Thailand shows the world when it comes to postponing a difficult decision, they cannot be beaten.

[Buchholz]

Thai court dismisses extra charges against Bout

BANGKOK - A Thai court on Tuesday dismissed charges of money-laundering and wire fraud against suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, bringing him a step closer to extradition to the United States to face terrorism charges. But the 43-year-old former Soviet air force officer nicknamed "Merchant of Death," and his allies in Moscow, are expected to wage an intense effort to stop the extradition, possibly by appealing to Thailand's prime minister who has final say. Legs shackled, Bout turned to his lawyer after the verdict and asked him to appeal. He hugged his wife before about 30 police commandos escorted him from Bangkok Criminal Court.

"Whether the process drags on depends on what the defense's next move is and also what the government says after the court process is over," said Sirirak Tiyapan, director of international affairs at the Thai attorney general's office. The legal wrangling is the latest twist in a two-year diplomatic tug of war between Washington and Moscow over a man accused of trafficking weapons since the 1990s to dictators and conflict zones in Africa, South America and the Middle East.

Bout has denied all charges, saying he ran a legitimate air cargo business and was in Bangkok to discuss selling aircraft when he was arrested. He says his life would be in danger if he was sent to the United States. Moscow's aggressive lobbying has fueled speculation he was receiving protection from Russian authorities who had made no apparent attempt to interfere in his alleged operations.

Continues:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6941AA20101005

Reuters - 5 minutes ago

[Buchholz]

Not a happy camper:

Suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is escorted by members of a special police unit after a hearing at a criminal court in Bangkok October 5, 2010. A Thai court on Tuesday dismissed charges of money-laundering and wire fraud against Bout, bringing him a step closer to extradition to the United States.

Reuters

[Buchholz]

Hopefully, when he reaches the American prison system, he won't lose the benefits he achieved here while participating in the dramatic and hugely beneficial obesity-reduction program employed by the Thailand penal system.

BEFORE (upon arrest):

AFTER (Aug. 20):

Still continuing to shed those unwanted pounds on Oct. 5 using the effective Bang Kwang Obesity Reduction Program:

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Topic continues:

Thai Court Removes Hurdle To Extradition Of Viktor Bout

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