Whilst I’m on the VBeat, it’s probably about time for an update on the extradition hearings. Here’s the AP wire story on the last court appearance on the 4th of November. Bout’s lawyer is now pursuing a defence based on challenging the legality of extradition, after the main man apparently gave up stalling tactics. The first warrant for his arrest is apparently controversial because it was undated; the prosecution claims it was irrelevant because the state withdrew it and issued another.
Alternatively, here’s Russian state TV’s version. It’s unsurprisingly more sympathetic, but it provides a lot more detail. Specifically, I reckon the first document they mention as not being a request for extradition was actually a “request for legal assistance”. Everyone’s going to be back in court on the 18th of November, and the actual extradition hearing is set for the 22nd-24th of December.
Meanwhile, you might want to check out Russia Today‘s wolf webcams. I’m not sure if that’s meant to be a subtle propaganda exercise or whether it’s just because, well, webcams! with wolves! Man is the wolf to man, famously, so you might also want to check out the libertarian case for Viktor Bout. It had to happen.