WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th July, 2020) The US jail unit where Russian national Viktor Bout is serving his sentence has no reported novel coronavirus cases, Bout's lawyer Alexey Tarasov told Sputnik on Thursday.
"Viktor has indicated that within the Communication Management Unit, which is a very isolated place, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus," Tarasov, who communicated with his client over the telephone last week, said.
Tarasov explained that the prison unit at the US Penitentiary Marion in Illinois is completely isolated from the outside world and allows no visitation.
The lawyer also said the Communication Management Unit is particularly strict, which is fortunate for Bout with respect to the novel coronavirus epidemic.
Tarasov noted that he has no precise information about Bout's possible swap for US citizens who are imprisoned in Russia.
"There's been some indication that certain individuals in the United States would like the exchange happen," Tarasov said. "At the same time, there was an official announcement by Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov that there has been no official dialogue on the matter of prisoner exchange."
In 2008, Bout was detained in Thailand on a US government request as a result of a sting operation by the US special services. Bout was then transferred to the United States where a court found him guilty of conspiring to kill US citizens and of supporting terrorism.
The US Bureau of Prisons recently reported that 31 inmates jailed in the Marion prison have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
