OREANDA-NEWS. August 23, 2010.  Moscow is extremely bewildered and disappointed to learn of the decision pronounced by a Thai Appeals Court on August 20 to extradite Viktor Bout, a Russian citizen, to the United States on charges alleging his involvement in illicit arms trafficking.

This verdict seems highly questionable against the background of the fact that the Thai Criminal Court last August rejected a US request to extradite Viktor Bout on the grounds of the insufficiency of the proof of his guilt provided by the American side. In fact, not only did they in Thailand’s highest judicial echelon decline to confirm the well-grounded decision of their own lower court, which had thoroughly sorted out the matter and based itself on strong legal arguments, they also simply ignored it.

Such behavior of the Thai Themis indicates that the Viktor Bout case has unfortunately been moved from the legal arena into a purely political realm. In this regard, it should be emphasized that throughout the proceedings in “Bout’s case” there was a constant awareness of outside attempts to artificially politicize the trial but in fact to put pressure on Thai justice. This shameless interference took place despite the fact that Viktor Bout has, as is well known, committed no illegal acts on Thai soil, and that Thailand’s law enforcement agencies dropped all charges, and those of Russia also fielded no complaints, against him.

Thus, in this case it is not law and justice that is supreme but a politically motivated line towed from abroad by the American authors of the extradition request. It was also likely due to fears in some quarters of the Thai law enforcement agencies that in the event of Bout’s release they would be held responsible for the illegal arrest and protracted, almost three-year-long, remand in custody of the Russian citizen. It is impossible not to recall in this connection that, even after last year's acquittal by the Thai Criminal Court, our compatriot continued to be held in jail, although his lawyers with the support of the Russian Embassy in Thailand insisted for his release on bail.

The true value of the Thai side’s often-repeated assurances in the course of the proceedings that an objective and impartial approach would be shown towards the “Bout case” now stands fully revealed. In particular, the externally prompted new charges Thai prosecutors immediately injected into the proceedings at the appellate instance against Viktor Bout had not been considered by the court of first instance and were not sent back to it by the Appeals Court, which is in violation of generally accepted principles of justice.

The Russian side had repeatedly at all levels sought precisely an unbiased consideration of “Bout’s case” and, accordingly, an equitable and hence acquittal decision which would enable our citizen to return home. Through all these years, the Foreign Ministry of Russia had provided Viktor Bout and his family with complete legal and consular aid. Russian Embassy officials in Bangkok were in constant contact with him and his lawyers.

The Russian side also now intends, in the new situation, to continue to provide Viktor Bout all possible assistance and support in restoring his rights and justice in relation to him with the ultimate aim of securing his release and return home.