WASHINGTON, August 12 (RIA Novosti) - The United States will await a decision from the Thai government before making any further steps in the extradition case against an alleged Russian arms dealer, the State Department has said.
A Bangkok court on Tuesday turned down a U.S. request for the extradition of Russian businessman Viktor Bout, wanted by Washington on suspicion of illegal arms trafficking.
"Obviously, we're disappointed in the court decision...but as to what steps Thailand takes, at this point, it will be up to the Thai Government," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said.
The court said Thai prosecutors have 72 hours to decide whether to appeal the ruling.
"I think there is a prospect for the Thai Government to appeal this lower court verdict, but what they decide to do...will be governed by Thai law," he added.
Former Russian army officer Bout, 42, was arrested in Thailand in March 2008 during a sting operation led by U.S. agents. The United States has accused Bout of conspiring with others to sell millions of dollars' worth of weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), among other illegal arms deals, and "threatening lives of U.S. citizens."
The businessman, who has spent over a year in a Thai prison, has been facing extradition and trial in the United States after Thai authorities earlier announced that they would not press charges.
If convicted in the U.S. on the terrorism-related charges, he could be sentenced to life in prison.
However, the court said on Tuesday that FARC was not considered a terrorist movement in Thailand, which meant the group was classed as a political faction, therefore, Bout's alleged crimes were political offenses, which ruled out the possibility of extradition.
In addition, the court said the Thai-U.S. extradition treaty did not apply because Bout's alleged crimes could not be prosecuted in Thailand and did not involve Thai citizens or Thai interests.
The ruling in favor of Bout was welcomed by Russia, which has repeatedly said the arrest was made for political reasons and criticized the pressure it said was being applied on Thailand by Washington.
"We are satisfied with the court's decision in Thailand and hope that he [Bout] will be able to return to his motherland as soon as possible," Igor Lyakin-Frolov, a deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's information and press department, said on Tuesday.
