On 24 August 2010, Ms. Vimon Kidchob, Director-General of the Department of Information and Foreign Ministry Spokesperson responded to media questions regarding the case of Mr. Viktor Bout following the ruling by the Thai Court of Appeals on 20 August 2010 to extradite Mr. Bout, a Russian national, to the United States to face charges of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, conspiracy to kill officers and employees of the United States, conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles and conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization. Gist as follows:
1. Mr. Bout was accorded a fair trial under the Thai justice process without discrimination. The Thai Government could not interfere in the said process, and the Court had exercised its discretion without political pressure. The Royal Thai Government had informed both the United States and Russia of this principle.
2. The ruling of the Court of Appeals is final. The next step would be that after the Office of the Attorney General has formally sent the court ruling to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry would notify the U.S. Embassy in Thailand for the U.S. side to take Mr. Bout into its custody within three months from the date of the ruling (20 August 2010).
3. Thailand has handled this case in accordance with the law, with transparency and fairness, and the Royal Thai Government has also kept both concerned countries informed on a continual basis. Therefore, it is confident that the case would not adversely affect Thailand’s relations with them.
4. As for reports by certain foreign media linking the court ruling to the U.S. Government’s announcement about the sale of three Black Hawk helicopters to Thailand, these two cases are unrelated. Indeed, the Thai Cabinet’s decision regarding the Black Hawk helicopters had been made some time earlier.
5. Regarding the other case concerning money laundering and wire fraud, which has been accepted by the Court of First Instance, the U.S. Government has submitted a request that these charges be withdrawn. In this connection, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would transmit the matter to the Office of the Attorney-General for its further action in accordance with established procedures.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th