Viktor Anatolyevich But

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Wiktor But (2010)

Viktor Anatoljewitsch But (often in French transcription Viktor Bout , Russian Виктор Анатольевич Бут ; born January 13, 1967 in Dushanbe , Tajik SSR ) is a Russian transport company and arms dealer . He also bears the nickname Merchant of Death to German merchants of death , which he by the British minister Peter Hain received. But until his arrest in 2008 he ran his business partially unhindered, even with direct conflict opponents in wars around the world.

On November 2, 2011, a jury found him guilty of , among other things, conspiracy to commit murder and arms trafficking . The Federal Court in New York announced on April 5, 2012, the minimum sentence of 25 years imprisonment and a fine amounting to 15 million US dollars . But's appeal was dismissed in September 2013.

Life

Viktor But was born on January 13, 1967 in Dushanbe to Russian parents, but there are other details about his birth. After his superiors noticed his special talent for foreign languages, he attended the Soviet Military Institute for Foreign Languages ​​in Moscow. He then attended a Soviet military academy . But has a degree in business and speaks six languages. He was with a Soviet air force regiment until 1991, including two years in Mozambique , towards the end of the civil war . It is sometimes reported that But was a major in the Soviet secret service KGB , but he himself insists that he never had any connections with the KGB.

After the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Warsaw Pact , he founded a transport company in Moscow. He expanded the business to the United Arab Emirates and later moved the headquarters of his company to the Emirate of Sharjah . There But's company grew to become the largest air transport company in the emirate with at times 60 aircraft and up to 1000 employees.

Arms trade

After starting out in the ordinary transport company, But expanded his business to include the arms trade. After the end of the Cold War, the armies of the Warsaw Pact states were in some cases chaotic. At the beginning of the 1990s, with appropriate connections to the military, weapons of war could be procured from the huge arsenals in the territory of the former Eastern Bloc states and the successor states of the Soviet Union. But acquired weapons from Ukraine , Bulgaria , Romania , Slovakia and Kyrgyzstan, among others .

The buyers of the weapons supplied by But were primarily parties to the conflict in the various civil wars on the African continent. According to reports in European and American media, But did business in Cameroon , the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Republic of the Congo , the Central African Republic , Rwanda , Sudan and Uganda, among others . In Angola , it is reported, he supplied arms to the rebels and the government at the same time, thus helping to prevent the conflict from calming down. Also to be emphasized are But's business in Liberia and Sierra Leone , which was examined by a committee of experts from the United Nations (UN) and detailed in a 2001 report on the situation in Liberia, which later led to UN sanctions against But and its companies. During the Liberian civil war , But despite an embargo imposed by the UN, delivered war equipment to Charles Taylor , whose troops, along with other war crimes and atrocities, were notorious for the forced recruitment of child soldiers . Taylor also supported the Revolutionary United Front in neighboring Sierra Leone with the weapons supplied by But . But was also paid for with “ blood diamonds ”. Stephen Rapp, UN chief prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone , accuses But of crimes that could earn him long prison terms.

But also sold war equipment on other continents. According to American sources, he also sold weapons to the Colombian guerrilla movement FARC and supplied Hezbollah in Lebanon. But's business in Afghanistan shows a high degree of flexibility, for example before 1995 he initially supplied the government of President Burhānuddin Rabbāni . As a result, his opponents, the Taliban , were among But's customers, until in 2001 he again adjusted his course to the balance of power and in Afghanistan only supplied the Northern Alliance , allied with the USA . In the meantime, the US is also accusing But of equipping other Islamist terrorist groups, in addition to the Taliban, Al-Qaida and Abu Sajaf in the Philippines.

In his few public statements, But himself has mostly denied any involvement in arms deals. In a radio interview with Echo Moskwy in 2002, But in particular denied having ever supplied the Taliban or Al-Qaeda or had any contact with these groups. In a conversation with the US journalist Peter Landesman in 2003, But after a follow-up, But admitted that he was involved in the arms trade, but stated that in his view none of his business was illegal. In interviews with Nick Paton Walsh in March 2009 for the British Observer and Channel 4 News, But first denied any involvement in arms deals and repeated that he had never had any connections with Al-Qaeda. But when asked, But said that he could not rule out the possibility that weapons had been transported in his aircraft without his knowledge. Later in the interview, he also confirmed that he had delivered weapons to the government in Afghanistan in 1996.

Sanctions and arrests

In 2001, sanctions were imposed on But following the above-mentioned UN Committee of Experts report. Because of his business in Liberia, the UN has imposed a travel ban and frozen the bank accounts of Buts and various air freight companies he operates.

In 2002 Belgium issued an arrest warrant against But, charged with money laundering and diamond smuggling. He fled to Russia, where he did not have to fear extradition, and lived in Moscow for the period that followed.

But's planes by no means exclusively provided logistics services for warlords and dictators. As early as the 1990s, he also flew UN peacekeeping forces to Somalia . His business partners included the British government, for whom he flew soldiers and material to Kosovo . In 2002, after the first UN sanctions came into force, the US government also used the transport services of Buts companies. In the first months after the US troops' victory in the Iraq war in 2003, Buts planes flew material for the American army when other airlines did not fly to the still unsafe Baghdad airport . In 2004 and 2005, the American military service provider KBR , at that time still a subsidiary of Halliburton , was one of But's largest customers. In 2004 the administration of George W. Bush even made a failed attempt to have the UN sanctions against But lifted. In 2004, however, the gradual implementation of the UN sanctions against But in the USA began. In July 2004, the US President issued Executive Order 13348 to implement the UN resolutions on Liberia. As a result, But was finally blacklisted by the US Treasury Department on April 26, 2005 and his companies' bank accounts were frozen.

On March 6, 2008, Wiktor But was arrested in Thailand with his business partner Andrew Smulian . The Thai police succeeded in arresting them with the help of the US drug agency DEA , which accused But of accepting drugs as payment for weapons and transporting them on his planes. After agents of the agency successfully introduced themselves to But as representatives of the Colombian FARC interested in an arms deal, they managed to persuade him to meet in Bangkok , which ultimately led to his arrest. In the ensuing court case in the USA, the prosecutors specified that the agents disguised as Colombian rebels had informed But that, among other things, they wanted to acquire anti-aircraft missiles from him for the downing of passenger planes. They wanted to "kill a few Americans". It was only because But had no objection to this that charges in the United States became possible despite his arrest in Thailand.

Extradition proceedings

The USA then applied for his extradition and accused him of equipping terrorist organizations. The UN chief prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone had also applied for Buts to be extradited to the court in The Hague.

At a court hearing in September 2008, But's defense attorney stated that his client was innocent and was being illegally detained. The Russian State Duma passed a declaration of support that same month: There were political motives in But's case and an attempt was made to link the matter to the fight against international terrorism, thereby damaging Russia's interests and reputation. It is necessary, the parliamentarians continue, to intensify efforts to protect Viktor Bout from unlawful persecution and to enable his return to Russia.

On August 11, 2009, a Thai court ruled against Buts extradition to the United States. But remained in custody in Thailand as the Thai public prosecutor appealed the verdict. In March 2010 new extradition proceedings against But were opened.

On August 20, 2010, the Thai Court of Appeal overturned the 2009 ruling and decided in the final instance that But was to be extradited to the USA within three months. The decision of the court was criticized by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as “politically motivated” and he said that, according to the information available to him, the decision was sadly taken under very strong external pressure. He announced that Russia would do everything possible to bring But back home. The Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva rejected the allegations that it was not a question of politics or the preference of one side (Russia or the USA). The final decision on extradition was made by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Wiktor But (center) on November 16, 2010 when he was extradited to the USA

In mid-November 2010, the Thai government under Prime Minister Vejjajiva decided to extradite But to the USA. Shortly thereafter, But was flown out of Thailand on a US plane and arrived in New York on November 16, 2010 . There he was transferred to a maximum security prison. The US government believes that the extradition of But will not affect US-Russia relations.

Law enforcement and conviction

But was transferred to a New York prison in the United States. The preliminary trial against him in the New York South District Court for arms trafficking and terrorism took place in January 2011. At that time, But's wife had announced an application for exemption on bail, the payment of which, according to But's relatives, was expected by the Russian state; But's alleged $ 6 billion global fortune is denied. But is said to have suffered an infection with open tuberculosis while in custody in Thailand , for which he was or is being treated with medication. But denied all criminal charges. At the beginning of 2011, But told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that he had refused a "deal" with the public prosecutor and was not expecting a fair trial. Before his extradition to the USA in November 2010, But is said to have expressed the expectation of an acquittal in his court proceedings.

After a month-long postponement, the trial of But began on October 11, 2011. On November 2, 2011, the jury found But guilty of all four counts: conspiracy to kill US citizens, kill US government workers, and shoot down Airplanes as well as arms trade. His lawyer announced an appeal against the verdict. His former business partner Andrew Smulian, with whom But was arrested in Thailand in 2008, appeared as a witness in the trial. In contrast to But, Smulian pleaded guilty to his own trial and was sentenced to only five years in prison because of his close cooperation with the US authorities.

The Federal Court in New York announced on April 5, 2012, the minimum sentence of 25 years in prison for But and a fine amounting to 15 million US dollars . But's attorney announced an appeal. The Russian government criticized the verdict. The Russian State Department said the US judiciary had "ignored defense arguments and apparently carried out a political mandate." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Russia would do everything in its power to bring But home. But appealed the verdict on the grounds that the prosecution against him was politically motivated. The New York Court of Appeals dismissed this appeal and upheld the sentence. But has been serving his sentence at the United States Penitentiary Marion , a medium-security prison, since June 2012 .

Others

The main character Yuri Orlov , played by Nicolas Cage , in the film Lord of War is partly based on Wiktor But.

literature

Reports

Web links

Commons : Wiktor But  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "Merchant of Death" sentenced to 25 years in prison. In: Spiegel Online from April 6, 2012
  2. ↑ a b 25 years imprisonment for “dealer of death” in Handelsblatt Online from April 6, 2012.
  3. ^ A b Benjamin Bidder, Marc Pitzke: 25 years for the manager of the war. In: Spiegel Online from April 6, 2012
  4. ↑ a b Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout's US conviction upheld. , Reuters, September 27, 2013
  5. ↑ The private film archive of the arms dealer Wiktor But. in: Spiegel TV Magazin from January 30, 2011; Video online part 1 , part 2
  6. ↑ a b Thailand holds 'top arms dealer' , BBC News, March 6, 2008. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  7. ↑ a b c d The Deathbringer. Encounter with Viktor Bout , SZ-Magazin from October 23, 2003, see under web links. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  8. ↑ a b c d e weapons for the world. The dealer of death - the case of Viktor Bout , Telepolis of March 8, 2009, see under web links. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  9. ↑ a b c Flying anything to anybody , The Economist of December 18, 2008, www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12795502 (can no longer be read free of charge). Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  10. ↑ http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/committees/Liberia2/1015e.pdf Report of the Panel of Experts pursuant to Security Council resolution 1343 (2001), paragraph 19, concerning Liberia, October 26, 2001. Retrieved on March 24, 2009.
  11. ^ A b c Viktor Bout: From International Outlaw to Valued Partner , by John Ck Daly, Global Policy Forum, October 21, 2004. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
  12. ↑ a b International Arms Dealer Charged in US with Conspiracy to Provide Surface-to-Air Missiles and other Weapons to a Foreign Terrorist Organization ( English ) United States Department of Justice. March 6, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  13. ↑ A NATION CHALLENGED: A SUSPECT; Russian Goes on the Air To Deny Al Qaeda Ties , by Michael Wines, The New York Times, March 1, 2002. Retrieved March 22, 2009.
  14. ↑ 'Merchant of Death' denies arming terror , by Nick Paton Walsh, The Observer, March 15, 2009. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
  15. ↑ 'Merchant of death' denies deals , by Nick Paton Walsh, Channel 4 News, March 16, 2009. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
  16. ↑ http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/committees/Liberia2/TravelBanB.htm Revised list of persons affected by resolution 1343 (2001) on Liberia, December 26, 2001. Retrieved March 23, 2009.
  17. ↑ List of individuals and entities subject to the measures contained in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 1532 (2004) concerning Liberia (The Assets Freeze List) , The Assets Freeze List , June 14, 2004, last updated December 16, 2009. Retrieved on August 21, 2010.
  18. ↑ National Archives: Federal Register (69 FR 44885): Executive Order 13348 of July 27, 2004 (PDF file; 530 kB). Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  19. ^ Treasury Designates Viktor Bout's International Arms Trafficking Network , US Department of the Treasury, April 26, 2005. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  20. ^ A b Ex-Associate Testifies Against Reputed Arms Trafficker. In: New York Times, October 25, 2011
  21. ↑ http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/victor_bout/index.html Times Topics: Victor Bout , The New York Times, March 6, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2009
  22. ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung of March 7, 2008: Every shot is profitable ( Memento from February 10, 2009 in the Internet Archive ).
  23. ↑ a b Zeit Online from November 3, 2011: Arms dealer Bout must have been imprisoned for at least 25 years .
  24. ↑ Arms dealer Viktor Bout faces Thai court for extradition to US , by Ian MacKinnon, guardian.co.uk, September 22, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2009.
  25. ↑ Russian arms dealer trial opens , BBC News, September 22, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2009.
  26. ↑ Focus online: Russian Viktor Bout not extradited to USA from Thailand.
  27. ↑ Viktor Bout is to be delivered to the USA , NZZ online from August 20, 2010 (accessed on August 20, 2010)
  28. ↑ "Merchant of Death" is being delivered to the USA in Zeit online from August 20, 2010. Accessed on August 21, 2010.
  29. ↑ Who is afraid of Viktor But? in: Spiegel Online from October 6, 2010
  30. ↑ Thailand delivers alleged arms dealer But to the USA in: Spiegel Online from November 16, 2010
  31. ↑ Suspected arms dealer delivered ( memento from November 21, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) in: RP Online from November 16, 2010
  32. ↑ Alleged arms dealer Bout in court today in the USA in: AFP of November 17, 2010
  33. ↑ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2011/01/mil-110110-rianovosti03.htm globalsecurity.org / RIA Novosti - Viktor Bout's wife to seek his release on bail, January 10, 2011
  34. ^ "Arms Suspect Vows to Win Case in US After Extradition Order" nytimes.com, August 21, 2010
  35. ↑ Россия хочет заполучить "оружейного барона" Бута, которого отправляют на суд в США NEWSru.com , August 20, 2010.
  36. ↑ Trial against “dealer of death” in autumn ( memento from January 23, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) in: RP Online from January 22, 2011
  37. ↑ Trial against "Gun Baron" Bout in USA postponed to October 11th. in: RIA Novosti of March 3, 2011
  38. ↑ "Dealer of Death" convicted of murder in: Spiegel Online from November 2, 2011
  39. ↑ Guilty verdict for the dealer of death. In: faz.net of November 2, 2011
  40. ↑ 'Merchant of Death' witness gets 5-year sentence in: Fox News, May 24, 2012
  41. ↑ 25 years for the «dealer of death». In: NZZ Online from April 6, 2012
  42. ↑ Russia outraged by judgment against But. In: Spiegel Online from April 6, 2012
  43. ↑ Archive link ( Memento from July 16, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  44. ^ Federal Bureau of Prisons: United States Penitentiary Marion. Retrieved July 28, 2020 (English).
  45. ↑ Stranger than fiction: Viktor Bout battles his Hollywood “brand”
personal data
SURNAME But, Viktor Anatolyevich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Бут, Виктор Анатольевич (Russian); Bout, Viktor; Merchant of Death (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Russian carrier and arms dealer
DATE OF BIRTH January 13, 1967
PLACE OF BIRTH Dushanbe , Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union