Russia’s ‘Merchant of Death’ Viktor Bout holds art show after being freed by US
- The former arms dealer was released in a high-profile prisoner swap for basketball star Brittney Griner
- Bout joined a Kremlin-backed party upon return to Moscow, but has dodged questions about a possible political career
Viktor Bout, a former Russian arms dealer who was released from prison in the US in a swap for WNBA star Brittney Griner in December, unveiled an exhibition of his artworks at a Moscow gallery on Tuesday.
Bout, widely known abroad as the “Merchant of Death”, was convicted in 2011 on terrorism charges with prosecutors saying that he was ready to sell up to US$20 million in weapons, including surface-to-air missiles to shoot down US helicopters.
He strongly denied the charges and proclaimed his innocence, describing himself as a legitimate entrepreneur who did not sell any weapons. Russian officials have cast him as a victim of a nefarious US sting operation and demanded his release for many years.
When Moscow and Washington made a deal to swap him for Griner in December, Bout was held in a medium-security facility in Marion, Illinois and had not been expected to be released until 2029.
After his return to Moscow, Bout, 56, quickly became a member of the Kremlin-backed Liberal Democratic Party but has dodged questions about a possible political career.
Bout’s art exhibition features a wide gamut of styles and subjects – from portraits of Soviet-era movie stars to warplanes to animals.
