The new date is Jul 7, 2022.
If the U.S. government agrees to a prisoner swap involving a Russian arms dealer, Moscow will be willing to release the basketball player, according to his lawyer.
The US basketball star arrived at the court.
The lawyer for Bout told NBC News that Moscow is prepared to make a swap for Bout, who is currently in the U.S.
Forbes reported in May that the State Department may be trying to pursue a swap involving the two men, as well as New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who has experience in handling international hostage negotiations.
The potential prisoner exchange has been mentioned by state-run news outlets in Russia.
A straight swap involving just these two might prove difficult for the Biden administration to justify considering the severity of Bout's crimes.
Washington is trying to get the release of a former marine jailed in Russia for espionage in order to make the swap more acceptable, according to reports.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department is opposed to prisoner swaps.
The second session of her trial was delayed last week after two witnesses failed to show up. The case is not expected to be decided for at least two months, according to the Russian lawyers. She was supposed to be out of jail on July 2, but the court decided to keep her there until December 20.
A federal court in New York sentenced Bout to 25 years in prison after he was found guilty of selling weapons to the rebels. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Bout became known as a supplier of weapons to militias and terror groups. Nicolas Cage portrayed a character based on Bout in a movie called "Lord of War". Bout earned the nickname "The Merchant of Death" for his activities outside of the movie industry. He was captured in a 2008 Drug Enforcement Agency operation in Thailand. The Russian government and Bout maintain that he is innocent and have demanded his release since his conviction.
In the league's off-season, many players travel to Russia to play in the Russian premier league. She was arrested at an airport in Moscow in February after cannabis oil was found in her luggage. She could face a 10-year prison sentence if the Russian prosecutor's allegations are proven correct. The basketball star has been classified as a wrongly held person by the US. The Kremlin said in an interview last month that she was being punished for breaking Russian law. The worsening of U.S.-Russia ties following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine will make any potential negotiations difficult.
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