The wife of Russian national, Viktor Bout, told Sputnik on Monday she was ready to write a request for the exchange of her husband held in the US prison for US citizen Paul Whelan sentenced in Russia
BANGKOK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th June, 2020) The wife of Russian national, Viktor Bout, told Sputnik on Monday she was ready to write a request for the exchange of her husband held in the US prison for US citizen Paul Whelan sentenced in Russia.
Earlier on Monday, a court in Moscow sentenced Whelan to 16 years in prison for espionage. Whelan maintained that he was not guilty.
"Now that Whelan's hearing is over, if our diplomats and Viktor's lawyers think it appropriate to send the US authorities a request from our family asking to exchange Viktor, I will, of course, write this request," Alla Bout said, adding that she had already asked the Russian Foreign Ministry in the past to consider an exchange of her husband for Whelan.
It was clear that any talks on such exchange would only become possible once Whelan's hearing was over, Alla Bout said.
Bout was detained in Thailand on US request in 2008 as a result of a sting operation by the US special services. The Russian national was brought to the US, where the court found him guilty of conspiring to kill US citizens and supporting terrorism.
