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Moscow says Bout’s transfer is a good sign, but it's still not enough

On Wednesday, Bout’s wife Alla told TASS that her husband had been transferred from a specialized unit for particularly dangerous criminals to a general ward in the same jail

MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. Alleviating the incarceration conditions for Russian national Viktor Bout serving out his prison term in a US correctional facility, is a step in the right direction but not a solution to the problem, Russia’s Foreign Ministry’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law Konstantin Dolgov told TASS on Thursday.

The diplomat noted that he hadn’t yet received any information on Bout’s transfer from the supermax unit to a general ward "either from him or his attorneys."

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Russian citizen serving time in US surprised by transfer to general ward

"If this information proves true than this is long overdue. This is a small step in the right direction but the course itself is a severe mistake. Keeping him in solitary confinement was illegal. The attorneys had raised this question many times and the prison authorities time after time confirmed that they did not consider him a prisoner posing any threat to security and order," Dolgov stressed.

"Certainly, if the Americans have corrected their gross mistake regarding the violation of the Russian citizen’s rights, then we should welcome it," the diplomat added. "But of course this doesn’t change his situation in general."

"This case was politicized from start to finish. His rights were violated and they still are being violated. Our goal is to ensure his return to his native country," Dolgov stated adding that he had been in constant contact with Bout himself, his wife and attorneys.

On Wednesday, Bout’s wife Alla told TASS that her husband had been transferred from a specialized unit for particularly dangerous criminals to a general ward in the same jail.

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