Viktor Bout became a known name to the community after he was exchanged for WNBA star Brittney Griner last year in December. Prior to the prison exchange, Bout was in a US prison since 2011, whereas, Grinner was in a Russian prison for 10 months. The Russian and US authorities mutually decided this so that they could be brought back to their respective nations.
The basketball world was shocked when the news of Griner being detained came to the surface. She was charged under drug charges as Griner was allegedly carrying illegal cannabis oil in her bags. However, the star stated that she was unaware of this and that the only reason why she carrying this was for personal use. The Russian court found her guilty and sentenced her to 9-years of prison.
BRITTNEY GRINER-VIKTOR BOUT PRISONER EXCHANGE….BACK ON DEC 8, 2022
‘Member y’all??? pic.twitter.com/URMWb7FLK7— Dr_Mikey🇺🇸 💙💛 NAFO ( N.A.T.O.) (@DrMikey13) August 29, 2023
Furthermore, Bout was an arms supplier and related to terrorism. Not only was he known as the “Merchant of Death”, but also was one of the high-profile Russians in the US prison. Bout was arrested in 2008 by US investigators in Thailand. He was convinced in the Manhattan court and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The film ‘Lord of War‘ which was released in 2005 was inspired by Bout’s exploits. He spent significantly less time in prison than his initial sentence. The home-coming of both, Griner and Bout was widely celebrated by the people of the nation. Ten months after her return, Griner announced her plans to stay with the Phoenix Mercury until her retirement.
Viktor Bout is a local politician
While Brittney Griner came back to her nation and to basketball, Viktor Bout decided to take up an unexpected profession of politician. In an interview, Bout said, “I’ve been for 15 years locked up in your federal system. So what do you expect from me, that I have to take time to take a vacation? Heck no. I’ve got to do everything for my country”.
His way of doing everything for his country began by standing in elections. Interestingly, merely four days after returning to Russian lands, he became a card-carrying member of Russia’s Liberal Democratic Party. Bout has been making visits to the regional office in an attempt to try to understand the problems of people. He has emphasized that after a long absenteeism from his own country, he needs to learn how they live.
Apart from his political side, Viktor Bout was witnessed showcasing his artwork at the Moscow gallery. The exhibition was a big hit and compliments were showered on the former Russian arms dealer. It seems like he truly reinvented himself and is working on a better self.