WASHINGTON: The brother of the American sentenced by a Russian court to 16 years in prison for espionage said on Tuesday he believes Moscow wants to exchange him for a notorious arms dealer or Russian diplomatic properties shuttered by Washington.
Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, known as the"Merchant of Death" for his role arming rebels from Africa to South America, after his arrest in Thailand in 2008. He was extradited to stand trial in the United States in 2010. AFP/SAEED KHAN "There's a reason the Russian Confederation kept my brother. And that was to extract a concession," Paul Whelan told AFP."There are a handful of people that they are interested in seeing released. Viktor Bout has been number one. Konstantin Yaroshenko has been number two."
His arrest was initially viewed as a tit-for-tat after the United States arrested Maria Butina in July that year on spying-related charges.
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