The Russian government insisted Friday that the name of Viktor Bout, convicted in the United States for arms trafficking, figures in the negotiations for a potential prisoner swap and expects a «positive outcome» from the ongoing contacts, details of which have hardly been made public.
«We have not yet reached a common denominator, but Viktor Bout is certainly one of the people being discussed and we certainly hope for a positive outcome,» Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Riabkov told the TASS news agency.
Moscow acknowledged for the first time in August negotiations with Washington to recover Bout in exchange for American prisoners, in particular basketball player Brittney Griner, convicted by the Russian justice system for drug possession and trafficking. The White House also reportedly brought into the equation former Marine Paul Whelan, imprisoned in Russia for espionage.
Bout, known as the ‘merchant of war’ for his responsibility in arms trafficking, was arrested in Thailand in 2008 by order of the United States and is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence.
