WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th August, 2020) The defense team of Russian citizen Viktor Bout, who is imprisoned in the United States, has been unable to contact their client in two weeks, lawyer Alexey Tarasov told Sputnik.
On Saturday, Bout's wife Alla told Sputnik that neither she nor the Russian Embassy in the US have been able to reach him since July 22.
"I have not had communications with Mr. Bout in at least two weeks," Tarasov said. "There was a problem that developed sometime last week, but we have not been able to get in touch with Mr. Bout yet."
Bout wrote in a letter on July 23, that 36 COVID-19 cases have been registered in Marion prison in the US state of Illinois, where he is located. The US Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in a recent update said there are now 78 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the facility.
Tarasov also said there was "some issue" with Bout's communication with the family.
The defense attorney said they will try to organize a prison phone call this week or next week.
Last month, Bout also told his lawyer there were no cases in his specific prison unit, which is completely isolated from the outside world and allows no visitation.
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.
