Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer notorious as the “merchant of death,” has been nominated as a candidate for a seat in the legislative assembly of the Ulyanovsk region in central Russia. Bout, who served 10 years of a 25-year sentence in US prisons on arms dealing charges, was released in December as part of a prisoner exchange with US basketball star Brittney Griner.
The ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) selected Bout as their candidate for the regional legislature. Despite its name, the LDPR holds far-right, ultra-nationalist views and is known for its support of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The party has a history of welcoming controversial figures, including Andrei Lugovoi, wanted in the UK for the murder of Putin critic Alexander Litvinenko. Lugovoi has been an LDPR member of Russia’s national parliament since 2007.
Bout, who publicly joined the LDPR upon his return to Russia, was arrested by US agents in Thailand in 2008. The US Department of Justice referred to him as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers, a charge Bout has consistently denied.
The prisoner swap that led to Bout’s release involved Brittney Griner, an Olympic gold medalist in basketball who had been sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony for possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. The US criticized the judicial process in Griner’s case, labeling it a sham. Griner has since resumed her sports career.
Viktor Bout’s nomination as a candidate for the regional legislature has drawn attention due to his controversial background and the extremist positions of the LDPR. The party’s support for President Putin’s policies, along with its association with figures involved in high-profile crimes, adds to concerns about its political agenda.