America is worried about the fate of Viktor Buta

As you know, Viktor Boot is in a Thai prison, waiting for a decision regarding extradition. The Thai court, we recall, has repeatedly transferred the consideration of the issue in this case for various reasons.

Businessman Viktor Boot became known after publications about his involvement in illegal weapons trade appeared in the United States. Journalists called him "death merchant."

But was detained on March 6, 2008 in Thailand, where he arrived as a tourist. The reason for the arrest is the US demand to give it to the American justice in view of its involvement in illegal supplies of weapons - in particular, the Columbian group "Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia." In the United States, he is facing a life imprisonment.

Bout itself categorically rejects these accusations. The defense of the businessman has repeatedly expressed confidence in the outcome of the case favorable for But. The court, according to lawyers, has three grounds for refusal: lack of evidence; The pursuit of Buta is carried out for political reasons; Finally, what the United States is called a crime that Bout has committed or intended to commit is not such in Thailand. However, so far none of the lawyers has deciphered what exactly was worth the wording of "political motives".

The arrest of Buta in Thailand was preceded by very loud scandals associated with his name. The world press wrote in detail about them at the time of the arrest of Viktor Buta, recalling the brightest pages of his biography.

Soldier of the Armed Forces of Liberia with a Kalashnikov assault rifle

So, in 2001, a report of the UN Special Commission on the supply of weapons to the African terrorist groups appeared. The authors of the report wrote that back in 1995, Buty opened in the Belgian city of Ostend Air Cess Air Cessi, registered in Liberia. Allegedly, the liners of this company delivered weapons to such organizations as the toilet in Angola and Rof in Sierra Leone, the Liberian government of Charles Taylor, the groups of the Rwandy Hutu, armed detachments in the Congo. In 2002, an international arrest warrant was issued.

In 2006, President George Bush decided to freeze assets of a number of political figures and entrepreneurs who are responsible for armed conflicts in the Congo. Among them was Viktor Bout. And in 2008, at the US, at the request of the United States, the Russian special services were able to detain a Russian entrepreneur in Bangkok. Andrew Smulyan, a citizen of England, whom the Americans consider to be an accomplice of Victor Butu, was detained with him.

The US Federal District Prosecutor's Office in New York brought a charge of four points against But. It was published in the media. He is accused of secret conspiracy to kill American citizens and officials. As well as in a criminal collusion in order to supply weapons to the militants of the revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (RVSK), this group was included in the US authorities in the list of foreign terrorist organizations. In the indictment, newspapers wrote-it was said that in 2007-2008, Buta allegedly negotiated the soldiers of portable missile and outlet complexes (MANPADS) of the Earth-to-air class, anti-tank grenade launchers, AK-47 assault rifles, ammunition, spare parts for rifles of Russian production, anti-personnel mines, plastic explosives of the S-4, plastic explosives of the S-4, plastic explosives of the S-4, plastic explosives. Night vision devices, "ultra -light" aircraft and the arrest of Buta in Thailand were preceded by very loud scandals. Bested aircraft.

Meanwhile, the media drew attention to the fact that although Buta was accused of violating the UN embargo for the supply of weapons (he allegedly delivered weapons around the world by airplanes of his own airline), but do not forget that the Western countries, including the British Defense Ministry to transfer units to Kosovo.

Already after the arrest, Viktor Boot himself officially turned to the Russian government with the following statement:

"I, Buttor, appeal to the Government of the Russian Federation as a citizen of the country. I ask you to take measures for my release because they have been concluded and detained on fabricated accusations. I ask the Government of the Russian Federation to take measures and request the Thai government, on what basis and why, on fabricated American accusations, they illegally hold me in this country." But the Government of the Russian Federation certified that he had not committed any crimes in Thailand, where he spent only 3 hours before his arrest, nor in the USA, where he was called "one of the largest weapons." Bout claimed in his appeal that he was not associated with any terrorist groups.

Earlier, his wife Alla But, through the "Russian newspaper", called on the Russian Foreign Ministry to help Victor Buta returned to his homeland. In her opinion, the arrest of her husband at the request of the American authorities is illegal. It reminded that according to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, a Russian citizen cannot be issued to another state. “My husband’s arrest was the result of a political order,” wrote Alla But.

The situation around Viktor Buta is complicated due to the fact that his business colleague, also arrested in Thailand and extraordified in the United States, British citizen Andrew Smulyan, can testify against him.

Back in July, the newspaper "Independent" wrote that, according to some unconfirmed data, Smulyan already testified to the prosecution regarding Buta's activities. The other day, there were again reports in the British press that Smulyan is ready to testify in an American court against But.

It is possible that the statement of 27 American congressmen by some Obraz is associated with the grateful testimony of Smulian, which can be used in the Thai court, which decides the fate of Viktor Buta.

Some time ago, the Foreign Policy magazine published an interview with Douglas Farah , co -author of the book Death Toruster: Money, Weapons, Airplanes and a Man without whom the War: Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible ") .

Answering a journalist’s question about what information is disposed by Bout, the headlight said:

“Well, there is a lot of information. He can tell a lot about the structure of Russian intelligence services or the Russian defense industry. He can probably provide a large amount of information about various non -state organizations to which he supplied weapons and which still act, from Hezbollah to the Union of Islamic Courts of Somali and others, if he wants to speak. To speak], he could harm the large number of people, first of all, to the Russians.

In the same interview, the headlight predicts how to behave BUT in the near future:

“I think he will try to do everything possible to get free while being kept in Thailand. If he wants to leave prison, it is better to do it in Thailand. If he is in the United States, I’m sure that this is my own assumption - that he will rest on what benefits the Americans provided to him and how much money he received from them. I can assume that he is generally not too worried ... Friends in Russia, his other contacts and his money, he will probably be able to get out of this alteration. "