The White House and Kremlin seem to agree on handing Bout over in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner, who is in her eighth month in a Russian prison for possessing less than a gram of cannabis oil in her suitcase when entering a Moscow airport to complete her seventh season with Russia's UMMC Yekaterinburg team.
Why aren't Russian billionaire owners of Brittney Griner's basketball team helping get her out of prison?
Zissou told CNN several days before Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony on August 4 that he had been wanted for Bout back for several years now.
As the WNBA entered its off-season this month, hundreds of fans and supporters were left waiting for answers from Griner's agent, from the White House, from anyone in a position of authority, about when she might be coming home. But if they really want to know what her future holds, they may be better off asking Zissou, wrote Amos Barshad.
Zissou maintains that Bout's arrest in 2008 and extradition in 2010 was bogus, that he was targeted specifically with a made-up crime so he could be charged in the U.S. Zissou contends that the result has resulted in harsher treatment of Americans embroiled in legal trouble in Russia, including Brittney Griner.
Bout, 55, could be out as early as 2027, which means his value in any potential swap is rapidly dwindling, not good news for Griner, according to the Queens-based lawyer.
Zissou had thought of the prisoner exchange but figured out that was the State Dept. However, they might listen to the families of former Marine Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner's wife Cherelle, whom he admitted were not keen on being involved with Bout, known as the merchant of death, a nickname Zissou detests.
The breakthrough came in July when Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the U.S. had made a substantial proposal to Russia for Griner and Whelan, which was confirmed by Moscow.
Zissou told Barshad that Russia and the U.S. are on the precipice of a swap. Everyone is silent on the radio, and you can tell that is about to happen. The White House's motivation to free a high-profile athlete like Griner is the main factor in a possible Bout deal. Zissou doesn't believe a deal will take place until after the midterms, so the White House doesn't appear to be soft on Russia. It won't happen when it happens with no advanced fanfare.
When Bout is freed, Zissou said, they'll just get him up in the morning. What does Bout have to say to his lawyer?