Viktor Bout is being put on trial in the U.S. for providing weapons to rebel troops in Columbia, Africa, and the Middle East. Bout was a soviet air force officer, but has since acquired the nickname"merchant of death", although his lawyer claims he is only a businessman. He is suspected to have sold weapons to organizations including al-Qaeda, the Taliban, the opposing factions in Angola's civil war, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, and many others. Interestingly enough, the premise for his trial in the U.S. is based on the fact that he attempted to sell millions of dollars of weapons to DEA agents, thinking they were agents of a Colombian narcotic/terrorist group. Bout's lawyer is not only giving a defense of "not guilty", but she is also fighting his prosecution by the U.S. government, because none of his alleged crimes took place in the U.S.. The penalty he will face if he is convicted will be 25 years in prison.
Claire Van der Vort
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