Victor Bout or the “Merchant of Death,” a Russian arms dealer is released by the US for a prison swap to free Brittney Griner. Here’s everything you need to know about him.
Who is Viktor Bout?
For months, the Russian state media has been speculating that the women’s basketball star, Brittney Griner can be exchanged for Victor Bout. The Kremlin has been seeking his freedom for a long time. Previous reports focused on a potential swap for both Paul Whelan and Griner. Whelan, a US Marine veteran received a 16-year-long prison sentence in Russia on charges of espionage. However, in the end, the deal was finalized for a one-on-one swap. Griner has been imprisoned in Russia since February for possessing vape cartridges with cannabis oil.
On Sunday, Antony Blinken, the Secretary of state told Margaret Brennan on CBS News’s Face the Nation that the administration is “actively engaged over these many months to try to move things forward to get our people home”.
Viktor Bout: More on the prisoner swap
The “Merchant of Death,” is a former translator for the Soviet military who turned into an international arms dealer. He also helped to fuel civil wars across the world by supplying sophisticated weapons to both sides of a conflict. He has been imprisoned in the US for over a decade. This was after being arrested in a Drug Enforcement Administration sting operation. However, the operation spanned three continents and he was arrested in Thailand. “Viktor Bout, in my eyes, is one of the most dangerous men on the face of the Earth,” stated Michael Braun. Braun is the former chief of operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
“Viktor Bout is indeed the chief sanctions-buster and is a merchant of death who owns air companies that ferry in arms and other logistic support for the rebels in Angola and Sierra Leone and take out the diamonds which pay for those arms. Aiding and abetting people who are also turning their guns on British soldiers,” stated Peter Hain. Hain is the minister of state for Africa in their foreign office in Britain.