BOUT DETAINED IN THAILAND FOR ONE MORE YEAR

BOUT DETAINED IN THAILAND FOR ONE MORE YEAR Viktor Bout will remain detained in a Thai prison for at least one more year.

The Criminal Court judged the Russian will be detained at Bang Kwang prison for at least one more year, pending further court hearings on his arms trafficking charges. Meanwhile, the court dropped Monday’s request by the United States government to waive money- laundering and electronic fraud charges earlier filed against the suspected arms trafficker, who has been detained in the suburban prison since the last two years. The US authorities had apparently tried to no avail to speed up the sought-after extradition of Mr Bout, known as the 'Merchant of Death.' The latest court ruling was delivered in spite of the Appeals Court’s earlier decision made in favor of the US-bound extradition of the Russian. Mr Bout told foreign reporters at the court he would be denied justice if ever sent over to the US where he would be faced with multiple gunrunning charges. Mr Bout donned a bulletproof jacket and was accompanied by about 100 heavily-armed policemen while appearing in court.