Alleged Russian arms dealer in Thai court for US extradition hearing

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Alleged Russian arms dealer in Thai court for US extradition hearing

Sunday 27 July 2008
By: AMBIKA AHUJA, The Associated Press
BANGKOK, Thailand

Reputed Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout arrived at a Thai court Monday for an extradition hearing to the United States to face terrorism charges.

Bout, dubbed "The Merchant of Death," was barefoot and shackled at the ankles as police led him from a prison bus to a fenced-off holding pen outside of Bangkok's Criminal Court ahead of the hearing.

The 41-year-old Russian, who was arrested March 6 in Thailand, is regarded as one of the world's most wanted arms traffickers.

His clients allegedly included African dictators and warlords such as former Liberian President Charles Taylor, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and both sides of the civil war in Angola. He has been accused of breaking several U.N. arms embargoes _ and was purportedly the model for the arms dealer portrayed by Nicolas Cage in the 2005 movie "Lord of War."

Dressed in a brown Thai prison uniform, Bout made no comment to reporters as he entered the court compound, but he has long denied involvement in illicit deals.

One of his defense attorneys, Lak Nitiwatanavichan, said Bout plans to fight the extradition.

"He's innocent. There are no grounds for his extradition," the lawyer told The Associated Press.

Bout has been indicted in the U.S. on four terrorism offenses that could result in a life sentence.

He is accused of trying to sell weapons to a terrorist organization with the goal of killing Americans, according to a U.S. indictment made public May 6.

American prosecutors say Bout was offering a deadly arsenal of weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, including more than 700 surface-to-air missiles, thousands of guns, high-tech helicopters, and airplanes outfitted with grenade launchers and missiles. The U.S. classifies FARC as a terrorist organization.

The charges were based in part on a covertly recorded meeting in Thailand on March 6. Bout was arrested after a sting operation in which undercover U.S. agents posed as Colombian rebels.

The charges against Bout include conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill U.S. officers or employees, conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile.