Mexico City /
And Russian diplomat confirmed this saturday that Moscow and Washington is it so dealing and possible prisoner exchange, which would involve a notorious Russian arms dealer imprisoned in the United States american basketball player detained in Russia.
The United States stated on several occasions that it had made a “consistent offer” for get release of two North American prisoners in Russia, the basketball player Brittney Griner and former soldier Paul Whelan.
According to US media, the goal would be trade them for Russian arms dealer Viktor Boutalso known as “the merchant of death”.
Who is Viktor Bout, famous arms dealer?
Bout was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and is serving a sentence of 25 years in prison in the United States. His life inspired the movie “Lord of War,” in which Nicolas Cage plays a cynical arms dealer.
“Talks about the very sensitive matter of a barter (of prisoners) are being carried out through the channels designated by our presidents,” said Alexander Darchiev, director of the North American department at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The names quoted by the American press, he said, “are effectively being taken into consideration. Russia has long sought the release of Viktor Bout“, he added in an interview published this Saturday by the Russian press agency Tass.
It should be remembered that Griner was arrested in February in Moscow with a vaporizer containing cannabis-based liquid. The player admitted to having been in possession of this substance, but she claimed to have inadvertently brought it to Russia and used it legally in the United States as a pain reliever. A few days ago she was found guilty of drug trafficking and sentenced to 9 years in prison.
