The American lawyer for Russian businessman Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence in a US prison, Steve Zissu proposed to unite the efforts of native Russians in US prisons and Americans serving sentences in Russia to return their loved ones home, RIA Novosti reports.
He pointed out that the US government has done nothing to return their relatives to their homeland and is not interested in negotiations on this topic.
“The time has come for the families of Russians imprisoned in American prisons and Americans serving prison terms in Russia to come together and join forces for the common goal of repatriating their loved ones,” the lawyer said.
He said that he had already held several conversations with the families of Americans serving time in Russian prisons, and noted "a certain degree of openness to a positive dialogue" on this issue. Zassu stressed that by bringing these families together, it will be possible to organize their own "mini state department" and jointly lobby for a "smart deal."
In December, the Foreign Ministry reported that the United States was not ready to discuss the exchange of prisoners in American and Russian correctional facilities. The department noted that the Russian side will continue to work in the given direction, seeking the return of the Russians to their homeland.
bbabo.Net