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Bout should serve sentence in Russia

In any case, Russian authorities should control further fate of Viktor Bout

MOSCOW, April 6 (Itar-Tass) —— Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Civil, Criminal, Arbitration and Procedural Legislation Pavel Krasheninnikov believes that Russian citizen Viktor Bout, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the United States, should serve sentence in Russia.

“At least Russian authorities should do their best for this and use all opportunities to appeal the verdict,” he told Itar-Tass on Friday.

Although, “the chances are very few for this,” Krasheninnikov acknowledged. “Bout was sentenced in the US according to the case law. The US did not extradite anybody according the case law on those charges Bout was convicted,” the deputy explained.

In any case, Russian authorities should control further fate of Viktor Bout, as well as the conditions of his imprisonment in the US, only if they fail to have him extradited to Russia.

The Federal Court of the Southern District in New York sentenced Russian businessman Viktor Bout to 25 years in prison. He was found guilty of major weapon sale to Colombian militants, which the US considers as a terrorist group, in November 2011.