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Health of Russian Viktor Bout jailed in US worsens, says human rights official

Viktor Bout was apprehended in Thailand’s capital of Bangkok in 2008 following a sting by US federal agents

MOSCOW, July 19. /TASS/. The health of Russian national Viktor Bout, sentenced to 25 years in prison in the United States, has seriously worsened recently, Ivan Melnikov, vice president of the Russian division of the International Human Rights Committee, told TASS on Tuesday.

"As Bout’s wife Alla told me, the exacerbation of some chronic diseases is seen as a result of the coronavirus infection he had and the lack of necessary medical care," Melnikov said.

According to him, based on the symptoms that Bout had reported to his wife over the phone, a dermatologist suggested the possibility of generalized herpes. "Against the background of weakened immunity and without the necessary diagnosis and therapy, this could lead to an even greater spread of the disease up to extremely severe forms, such as herpes meningitis, which threatens not only the health, but also the life of the patient," Melnikov stressed.

"In addition, he has a serious chronic disease - heart disease," he added.

Melnikov wrote a letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland, urging measures to have Bout’s condition diagnosed and necessary treatment assigned.

Viktor Bout was apprehended in Thailand’s capital of Bangkok in 2008 following a sting by US federal agents. He was charged with conspiracy to deliver weapons to a group regarded as a terrorist organization by the United States. In 2010, Bout was extradited to the United States. In April 2012, he was sentenced to 25 years in jail. Bout denied all the charges.

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