BANGKOK, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Thailand's prime minister says his government won't intervene in the extradition of a Russian arms dealer to the United States.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Saturday he was prepared to discuss the Appeal Court ruling on Viktor Bout, a Russian national charged in the United States with supplying weapons to anti-government guerrillas in Colombia.
Friday's ruling stated that Bout should be transferred to the United States within three months or released, the Thai News Agency said.
Bout, 43, is a former Soviet air force officer reputed to be a major supplier of arms to war zones around the world. He has been nicknamed the "Merchant of Death" despite his denials he is involved in illegal activities.
Bout was arrested in Bangkok in 2008 in a sting set up by U.S. agents posing as agents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The arrest outraged the Russian government which has demanded Bout be released, the Thai News Agency said.
