Viktor Bout to contest US request
Written by changthai11 on Friday, October 10th, 2008
EXTRADITION HEARING
Viktor Bout to contest US request
KING-OUA LAOHONG
Suspected arms dealer Viktor Bout will contest that the US request to have him extradited is a political issue, the Office of the Attorney-General’s international affairs department chief Sirisak Tiyaphan said yesterday.
Mr Bout has appointed a team of lawyers to contest the extradition request, and if he could prove the issue is a political one, it would save him from being sent to face terrorism charges in the United States, said Mr Sirisak.
The former Soviet army major, whose exploits are said to have been the inspiration for the 2005 Hollywood movie Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage, is fighting the detention in Thailand and the request for his extradition to stand trial on terrorism charges in the US.
The charges include conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill US officers or employees, conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile.
Mr Bout denied any illegal involvement in arms sales or similar activities.
Preecha Prasertsak, who has been appointed to challenge Mr Bout’s detention, said he has evidence that US and Thai authorities had issued the arrest warrant in advance and the arrest was arranged by US authorities - a practice deemed to be in violation of Thai sovereignty.
Mr Bout was arrested on March 6 at a Bangkok hotel in a US-led sting operation that led to his capture allegedly while making a deal to supply guns to rebels in Colombia.
However, the Criminal Court dismissed the charges due to lack of evidence.
Mr Sirisak said the arrest warrant was not in violation of Thai sovereignty. The warrant was only used as a document attached to the US extradition request.
“The prosecution and the investigators didn’t indict him on charges of inciting terrorism in Thailand or possessing arms.
“But the investigators asked the court to issue an order to keep him in custody for questioning. He has not yet been convicted. We only wanted to detain him for investigation,” Mr Sirisak said.
The Criminal Court will today resume the extradition hearing after the case was adjourned twice.
