Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who returned home Thursday in a swap for WNBA star Brittney Griner , is widely known abroad as the 'Merchant of Death' who fueled some of the world's worst conflicts.
Bout’s mother, Raisa, thanked President Vladimir Putin and the Foreign Ministry for freeing her son, Tass reported.
Even the former federal judge who sentenced him in 2011 thought his 11 years behind bars was adequate punishment. Bout has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence, describing himself as a legitimate businessman who didn’t sell weapons. Bout had not been scheduled to be released until 2029. He was held in a medium-security facility in Marion, Illinois.
At the time, his defense lawyer claimed the U.S. targeted Bout vindictively because it was embarrassed that his companies helped deliver goods to American military contractors involved in the war in Iraq.
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