Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer released in a prisoner exchange for US basketball star Brittney Griner, has been selected as a candidate by a far-right party for a seat in a Russian regional legislature. Bout, previously known as “The merchant of death,” served 10 years of a 25-year sentence in the US on arms dealing charges. He has been nominated by the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) for the legislative assembly in the Ulyanovsk region. The LDPR, despite its name, holds far-right views and supports President Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion. Bout joined the LDPR after his return to Russia.

Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/3/arms-dealer-swapped-for-griner-to-contest-russian-local-election