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Employees of Russian embassy in US visit Viktor Bout in prison

Viktor Bout is enduring all the hardships of the prison life and is determined to advocate his innocence, the embassy said

Viktor Bout EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

Viktor Bout

© EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

WASHINGTON, December 19. /TASS/. Employees of the Russian Embassy in Washington have visited Russian Viktor Bout on Tuesday, who is serving a 25-year sentence in the US. The embassy said about it on its Facebook page.

"On December 18, diplomats of the Embassy visited Viktor Bout as part of regular visits to Russian citizens imprisoned in the US. The Russian was convicted under a fabricated case and is serving his sentence in the Marion penitentiary, Illinois," the embassy said in the statement.

"Viktor Bout is enduring all the hardships of the prison life and is determined to advocate his innocence. It is regrettable that the American side is impeding in every possible way the registration of visas to Viktor Bout’s wife and daughter and thus hampers the family’s unification, which would be the first in many years. We will insist on the speediest removal of these bureaucratic obstacles and humane treatment toward our citizen," the Russian diplomats noted.

"We will continue to strive for the observation of rights and lawful interests of the Russian, as well as provide him comprehensive help and support," they stressed.

Bout was detained in the capital of Thailand in 2008 on the basis of the arrest warrant issued by the local court at the US’ request. He was charged with the illegal deliveries of arms to the group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which the US considers to be terrorist. In 2010, Bout was extradited to the US. In April 2012, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison and a fine of $15 million.

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