The family of Viktor bout is not aware of the possibility of its exchange for Whelan
The family of Russian businessman Viktor bout, who is serving a 25-year sentence in an American prison Marion, Illinois, is not yet known, nothing new about the possibility of exchange for an American citizen Paul Whelan, who was convicted in Russia for espionage, told RIA Novosti on Tuesday, the wife of the Russian, Alla Bout.
"There is nothing new about the possibility of sharing we don't know, no talking with us on this subject has not yet begun", - said the Agency Booth.
"Today I learned from the news that Whelan is not going to appeal the verdict and wait for the exchange. Well, this position gives some hope, but only hope," she continued.
Alla Bout also said that the sentence Whelan and her husband, who managed Tuesday to call home, already knows.
"Victor told me that he watched the story about the verdict Whelan on CNN. There is, of course, the position as American Ambassador in Moscow: they say that the sentence is unjust, we seek justice. And we did not seek justice for Victor?" - she was indignant.
"They think we are unfair, we think they're unfair. But we and they are – for justice... is there any way out of this situation? For my husband, for other wrongfully convicted in the U.S. of the Russians? Maybe our American partners should think that arguments about justice can behave in a civilized manner, and most importantly – without this hunting of our citizens in third countries, without this "open season on Russians," which began the Americans arrest my husband in Bangkok in 2008?" said the wife of the booth.
"As for sharing - I am for any mechanism for such exchange and will do all that is necessary", - she said.
Viktor Bout was arrested in Thailand on us request in 2008 as a result of provocative operations of the American intelligence services. He was charged in the preparation of the conspiracy to murder US citizens, US military personnel with the purpose of material support of terrorism and illicit trafficking of portable missiles "ground-air".
Russian denies accusations on all points. In Thailand, he has won two of the process for extradition in the first instance, but then, on appeal, decisions of courts of first instance were cancelled. While still under the jurisdiction of the Thai court, Bout was taken to the United States with gross violations as Thai and American law. In 2012, a jury in new York found the Russians guilty, after which he was sentenced to the minimum sentence for articles he was charged with 25 years in prison.
The Moscow city court last Monday sentenced a former American marine Whelan to 16 years in prison for espionage. A consequence of the plot of the case is not officially open: from the press release, the FSB followed that Whelan was detained in Moscow in late 2018 during spy promotions. The accused the last word said that espionage was not involved. The defense claims that American became a victim of provocation: he gave the flash drive that he had expected to see a photo of a tourist trip to Sergiev Posad.
Protection Whelan said that the foreign intelligence Service of Russia is considering the possibility of sharing his client for Viktor bout or Konstantin Yaroshenko, who is serving a sentence in the United States.