Extradition hearing of suspected Russian arms dealer postponed

BANGKOK, June 9 (TNA) - A Thai court on Monday postponed a hearing on the extradition of a suspected Russian arms dealer dubbed the "Merchant of Death" for his alleged role in the illegal international arms trade, due to the absence of his Thai defence lawyer. Victor Anatoljevitch Bout, 41, was arrested in Thailand on March 6 after a months-long sting operation involving US and Thai police. He was charged with terrorism offences in the US in connection with the conspiracy to sell missiles to members of a Colombian rebel group. Mr. Bout denied any wrongdoing. The Bangkok-based Criminal Court was scheduled to rule whether to extradite the defendant to the US at the request of the US government. The court clerk, however, submitted a petition to the judges asking that the hearing be postponed on the grounds that Lak Nitiwatvicharn, a Thai lawyer representing Mr Bout, was absent due to his recovery from heart surgery. The court judges granted permission to the request and scheduled the next hearing on July 28.The notorious arms dealer was dubbed the "merchant of death" for allegedly supplying warring parties in Angola and Sierra Leone, and is believed to have inspired the character portrayed by Nicolas Cage in the 2005 film "Lord of War".