Russia has submitted a legal brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a petition to overturn the sentence of Russian national Viktor Bout. This development was announced by his lawyer, Alexey Tarasov.
According to Tarasov, the submission is a so-called amicus curiae brief, which offers supportive arguments for Bout’s appeal. Tarasov noted that he was aware of the document’s preparation but was not its author.
Tarasov clarified that the argument addresses international law norms, particularly concerning extraterritorial jurisdiction. He confirmed that the Supreme Court is expected to consider the petition to review Bout’s case around March 31.
Businessman Viktor Bout was arrested by the U.S. DEA in Thailand in March 2008. Two years later, he was extradited to the United States, where he received a 25-year prison sentence. This term was the minimum sentence possible for the charges he faced: conspiracy to kill American citizens and military personnel, conspiracy to sell anti-aircraft missiles, and conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization.
In 2014, Bout’s lawyers filed a petition to have the case reviewed based on newly discovered evidence, but the trial court did not grant that request. Shortly thereafter, the defense decided to appeal this decision. However, the New York-based appellate court in mid-November 2016 refused to review the case.
Source: TV channel “Zvezda,” March 25, 2017
