NEW YORK, June 27. /TASS/. Disciplinary proceedings against Viktor Bout, a Russian businessman serving out his sentence in the US, have been delayed, his attorney Alexei Tarasov told TASS on Tuesday.
The disciplinary procedure was initiated against Bout earlier this month for his interview to a reporter from the RT TV channel. During the interview that took place on May 5, a reporter, who was authorized to speak with Bout, handed the phone over to a colleague. That person was not on the list of individuals to whom the jailed Russian was allowed to communicate. As a result, Bout’s prison sentence may be extended as punishment, or he may be sent to solitary confinement.
"There have been no developments so far. The decision was expected last week, but currently the disciplinary proceedings are being delayed, so there is no clear information on this issue so far," Bout’s lawyer told TASS by phone. "I sent a request to the prison last week, but it is yet unknown when a decision on disciplinary measures will be made."
Tarasov said the delay might be due to the schedule of the discipline hearing officers, who "visit the prison once in a few months and carry out all the required proceedings at once."
Bout case
Bout was detained in the Thailand’s capital of Bangkok in 2008 on a warrant issued by a local court at Washington’s request. He was charged with conspiracy to deliver weapons to a group calling itself the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, deemed terrorist by the US. In 2010, Bout was extradited to the United States. In April 2012, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison and a fine of $15 million.