Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, released from a U.S. prison in a swap last week, has joined Russia's ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party. Party leader Leonid Slutsky wrote on Telegram on December 12 that Bout received his membership card at a gathering to mark the party's 33rd anniversary. Bout was exchanged for American basketball star Brittney Griner, who spent 10 months in Russian custody for possessing a small amount of cannabis oil. Nicknamed the "Merchant of Death," Bout was handed a 25-year sentence in the United States in 2012 after being convicted of conspiracy to kill Americans, delivering missiles, and aiding a terrorist organization.
Viktor Bout Joins Ultranationalist Party After Returning To Russia In Prisoner Swap
Viktor Bout in 2011