A federal court in New York has set the beginning of a trial against alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for September 12, a U.S. judge said.
The court held preliminary hearings on Bout's case on Friday.
U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin said the time until September would be sufficient for prosecutors and Bout's defense to prepare for the trial and to coordinate the selection of a jury panel.
Bout's court-appointed U.S. lawyer said on Friday she would submit four appeals on the illegality of her client's prosecution in the United States.
The court will hold hearings on these appeals on March 28.
Former Soviet military officer Bout was arrested in Thailand in March 2008 during a sting operation led by U.S. agents. He was extradited to the United States in November, 2010, after spending more than two and half years in Thai prisons.
Bout, 44, is being held in a New York prison while he awaits trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on charges including conspiring to supply arms to terrorist groups and kill U.S. nationals. He denies all the charges against him.
The alleged arms dealer, dubbed "The Merchant of Death," could face anything from 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
NEW YORK, January 22 (RIA Novosti)
