Viktor Bout’s LDPR entry and its political implications

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Three days after returning to Moscow as part of a prisoner exchange with the United States, Viktor Bout, a Russian citizen convicted in the United States for arms smuggling, joined the Liberal Democratic Party.

Bout received a party ticket from party chairman Leonid Slutsky on the stage at the Hall of Columns during a rally marking the 33rd anniversary of the LDPR.

“We are the party of patriots. I am certain that Viktor Bout, a determined and fearless person, will hold a worthy place in the party. Welcome to our ranks!” Slutsky announced.

He thanked Bout for choosing to join and called him a brave figure who has become a symbol of the struggle for principles and the moral foundations of today’s Russia.

Earlier, Slutsky said the party would invite Bout to participate in a meeting of the Duma Committee on International Relations and with the LDPR faction.

Bout himself said he would not pursue any election bid at the moment.

“Not yet”, as quoted by RIA Novosti. He also expressed sympathy for the Liberal Democratic Party, describing it as a strong party that is close to the people.”

The LDPR held a broad meeting in Moscow from December 11 to 13. Elena Afanasyeva, a member of the LDPR Supreme Council and a senator, previously stated that discussions would focus on organizing the party’s election campaign in 2023. [Citation: LDPR event coverage]

“Political technology visible”

Alexander Yushchenko, press secretary for the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, commented on Bout joining the LDPR. He described Bout as loyal to the country but questioned the urgency of the move, suggesting political considerations were at play rather than purely personal choice.

“He is steady, strong-willed and loyal. I cannot judge him personally, but I would guess the move was shaped by broader political factors rather than a simple personal decision”, Yushchenko told socialbites.ca.

Yushchenko did not answer whether the KPRF was disappointed by Bout’s preference for the LDPR. “Membership in our party is not dictated by media coverage. We join in line with the charter and routinely welcome many young people from across the country to the party”, he stated.

LDPR member Yaroslav Nilov told socialbites.ca that Bout would focus on issues close to him within the party.

“If he sees himself active in social and political life and is ready, any member can participate in elections at various levels. There is no need for sensationalism or to claim he will instantly be a deputy in the State Duma”, Nilov said.

He reminded that elections to the State Duma are years away. “Let a person breathe, understand their goals, prove themselves, and then everything will fall into place”, he added.

I would volunteer

Upon returning to Russia, Bout gave an interview to RT with Maria Butina, a United Russia Duma deputy who had been sentenced in 2018 for acting as an unregistered foreign agent. After cooperating with investigators, his sentence was reduced and he was returned to Russia.

During a meeting with Butina, Bout expressed support for military action in Ukraine and said he would volunteer if given the chance and the necessary skills.

“I wholeheartedly support it. If I had the opportunity and the needed skills, I would volunteer”, he stated. He also asked why the operation had not been announced earlier.

On December 8, after months of negotiations, Bout was exchanged at Abu Dhabi airport for American basketball player Brittney Griner, who had been detained at Sheremetyevo airport in February 2022. Griner faced charges of drug trafficking after cannabis oil was found in her luggage. She was sentenced to nine years in prison in the United States.

Before the exchange, Griner and Bout were pardoned and would not serve their sentences at home.

Bout had been serving a 25-year sentence in the United States for plotting to kill U.S. citizens and providing support for terrorism. He was released after nearly 15 years of imprisonment in the United States.

Why was Bout prosecuted?

In the early 1990s, Viktor Bout built a business leasing aircraft for flights between Europe, Asia, and Africa. He chartered planes across Europe and Africa and profited from the cost difference.

Bout’s aircraft carried both legal military cargo and civilian freight. He has said that his aircraft were used to transfer French troops to Angola among other operations.

In the late 1990s Western media reported on Bout’s involvement in the arms trade. The New York Times cited a UN Security Council report from 2000 alleging Bout’s leadership in supplying weapons to rebels in Angola amid a long civil war.

Belgium placed Bout on an international wanted list in 2002, accusing him of smuggling diamonds and money laundering. Two years later, the UN and the United States sought to freeze his accounts.

On March 6, 2008, Bout was arrested in Bangkok, where he claimed he was there on vacation. Prosecutors alleged that U.S. intelligence agents lured him to Thailand with a bid to supply surface-to-air missiles to the FARC, a designated terrorist group.

Bout was charged with illegal arms trafficking and supporting terrorism. In 2010, he was extradited to the United States after two years in a Thai prison, and in 2012 he was sentenced to 25 years.

The Russian consistently denied the charges, insisting that his work involved legitimate international air transport. [Citation: courtroom records]

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