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Bout may be extradited to Russia

Russian Foreign Ministry’s commissioner for human rights: if appeals stop, Europe's Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons may be applied
EPA/ITAR-TASS
EPA/ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, November 6 (Itar-Tass) - If the appellate procedures in the Viktor Bout affair end, this opens up the way to use the mechanism of his extradition, Russian Foreign Ministry’s commissioner for human rights, democracy and supremacy of law Konstantin Dolgov told reporters on Wednesday in comments on the reports for the termination of the action taken by Bout’s lawyers for the appeals against the court verdict to the Russian citizen.

“If appellate procedures really ended, if Bout’s lawyers do not find it necessary to move forward on the path of appeals, this will be a situation, which gives formal options to apply the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, in order to make an official request to the U.S. side for the transfer of Bout to Russia,” Dolgov said.

Meanwhile, he noted that it is needed to deal closely with the situation over the reports on the termination of the appellate process in the Bout affair. “Bout’s lawyer met with him, we should wait for his return in Moscow,” Dolgov added.