Russia outraged at 'Merchant of Death' extradition

[Solace]

The Russians don't seem to happy that Thailand is extraditing the 'Merchant of Death' to the US.

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, has said his country would support suspected arms dealer Victor Bout "by all means" and called his extradition to the United States an "extreme injustice."

Bout, a Russian national, arrived in New York on Wednesday to face charges in the US, after Thailand backed a US request for his extradition following a long legal battle.

The 43-year-old former Soviet air force officer, dubbed the "Merchant of Death," faces accusations of trafficking arms since the 1990s to dictators and conflict zones in Africa, South America and the Middle East.

Bout had been fighting extradition since he was arrested in March 2008 in Bangkok in a US-led sting operation.

Read more: Russia rages at Bout extradition - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English