Thailand's FM pledges Bout's case not to be politicised, biased.

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24/7 Tass 93

BANGKOK, July 24 (Itar-Tass) -- Thailand's Foreign Ministry pledged
that a criminal case versus Viktor Bout, accused of arms smuggling, will
not be politicised and biased, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said
at a meeting with his Thai counterpart Kasit Phirom here on Friday.

"We discussed Viktor Bout's case with Thai authorities," he said. "The
foreign minister of the kingdom has promised to me that Bout's case will
not be politicised and biased," he said.
For his part, the Thai foreign minister noted, the Thai authorities do
not interfere into Bout's case, and the case is not politicised.
Viktor Bout, nicknamed "death trader", was detained on March 6, 2008
in Bangkok upon a U.S. request. On May 6, 2008 the United States
Attorney's Office (USAO), Southern District of New York (SDNY) issued four
charges against him, including that of conspiracy seeking to kill U.S.
citizens and officials. He is also accused of conspiracy seeking to
deliver weapon supplies to Colombian revolutionary armed forces, which the
United States put on the list of foreign terrorist organisations. Bout is
facing life imprisonment on three charges. The U.S. insists on Bout's
extradition from Thailand.
The Russian Foreign Ministry "is following closely the hearings into
Bout's extradition to the U.S.," spokesman for the Russian Foreign
Ministry Andrei Nesterenko said earlier. The diplomat reaffirmed Russia's
principal position "in favour of a fair decision for Bout's soonest return
to the homeland." "For its part, the Russian Foreign Ministry is taking
every effort to protect the legitimate rights and improve the imprisonment
conditions of Russian citizen Viktor Bout," the diplomat pledged.
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