Jury deliberations in a U.S. trial against alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout have been postponed until Tuesday due to lengthy closing remarks by prosecution and defense.
Prosecutor Anjan Sahni argued for over two hours on Monday that extensive evidence and testimony from government informants proved Bout \"was ready, willing and able” to sell heavy weaponry, including surface-to-air missiles, to Colombian terrorists.
Bout’s lawyer Albert Dayan spoke for three hours trying to convince the jury that his client used the “weapons theme” to lure potential customers into buying two cargo planes. Dayan said the case against Bout had been built on “speculation, innuendo and conjecture.”
All 12 jurors must unanimously agree on the verdict after deliberations on Tuesday for the case to proceed.
Bout, 44, was arrested in a U.S. sting operation in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the United States in November 2010 after a furious legal battle in Thai courts.
Bout is charged with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, conspiracy to kill U.S. officials, conspiracy to sell missiles and conspiracy to support terrorism by cooperating with a designated terrorist group. The former Russian military officer denies all charges against him.
He could face life in prison if convicted.