(Reuters) – Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout feels terrible after his long prisoner swap journey and his family expects that the United States will hand over his documents and drawings to the Russian embassy, TASS news agency reported, citing his wife.
She said Bout was “exhausted” and hadn’t slept for three days.
His family said it expected the United States would hand over his documents and drawings to the Russian embassy as soon as possible.
“Viktor Anatolyevich feels terrible, he is really exhausted,” Tass quoted his wife, Alla Bout, as saying.
“I hope that all his documents and drawings will be handed over to the Russian Embassy soon,” she said.
Alla Bout also said she was grateful for how the Americans treated her husband during the prisoner exchange.
“He said he was grateful to the American side for feeding him. He said he hasn’t eaten as much for the last 12 years. He was treated well, with respect, he wasn’t shackled or in handcuffs.”
Bout landed in Russia on Thursday evening after he was exchanged for U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner in the most high-profile prisoner swap between Russia and the United States for years.
In 2012, a U.S. court sentenced him to 25 years on arms dealing charges following his arrest in Thailand after an undercover operation by U.S. agents.
(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Mark Heinrich)
