A Thai court yesterday rejected a request by the US for the extradition of Viktor Bout, an alleged Russian arms dealer dubbed the “Merchant of Death.”
Bout, who is said to have inspired the Hollywood film Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage, has been fighting extradition since his arrest in Bangkok in March last year on charges of peddling weapons, including to al-Qaeda.
“The Thai court has agreed to dismiss the case,” Judge Jitakorn Patanasiri said in a decision that will come as a surprise to many, given the close diplomatic and security ties between Thailand and the US.
The burly, moustachioed Bout flashed a victory sign after the decision. The court ruled that he should remain in detention for another 72 hours to give the attorney general chance to appeal.
Bout was arrested in a sting at a Bangkok hotel after allegedly agreeing to supply surface-to-air missiles to US agents posing as guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
The judge, however, said that the court in Bangkok “does not have the authority to punish actions done by foreigners against other foreigners in another country.”
He said that FARC had been designated a terrorist organization by the UN and the US but not by Thailand, meaning that as far as Thailand was concerned it was a political movement.
“So the defendant’s conspiracy counts as a political movement and therefore we have agreed to dismiss the case,” Jitakorn said.
Bout did not speak after the verdict but his wife Alla said she was relieved.
“I was worried but now I am very happy,” she told reporters, wiping tears from her eyes. “I can’t say much because I am so emotional right now.”
Bout has denied the charges and insists that he ran a legitimate air cargo business.
A US diplomat said the US was “disappointed and mystified” by the court ruling.
“We think the facts of the case are relevant to Thai laws,” said James Entwistle, the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy.
“Our bilateral extradition agreement fully supports the extradition of Mr Bout,” Entwistle said.
“We will consult closely with the Thai government. We understand they will make clear their intention to appeal the decision and we will support that in any way we can,” he said.
Russia is “satisfied” by the court’s decision to refuse a US extradition request for Bout, a spokesman for the foreign ministry in Moscow was quoted by news agencies as saying yesterday.
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