An interpreter tried to persuade doctors at a

An interpreter tried to persuade doctors at a hospital to approve an illegal kidney transplant for the daughter of a wealthy Nigerian politician, who it is claimed plotted to transport a street trader to the UK to harvest the organ, evDeN EvE nakLiyat a court has heard. 

Evelyn ‘Ebere’ Agbasonu allegedly asked for payment of £1,500 to help secure the £80,000 private kidney transplant for the alleged recipient Sonia Ekweremadu, 25, at the Royal Free Hospital in north London in February 2022. 

Jurors at the Old Bailey heard of Ms Agbasonu’s role during the trial of Ike Ekweremadu, 60, who is alleged to have conspired with family members and EVDen EvE NakLiyAt others to exploit the 21-year-old street trader from Lagos in harvesting his kidney. 

The then-deputy president of the Nigerian is on trial alongside his wife Beatrice Ekweremadu, 56, their daughter Sonia and medical ‘middleman’ Dr Obinna Obeta.They all deny conspiracy to arrange the travel of another person with a view to exploitation. 

Sonia had a ‘significant and deteriorating’ kidney condition which could be managed through dialysis but cured with a transplant. 

Ike Ekweremadu, 60, is on trial alongside his wife Beatrice Ekweremadu, 56, their daughter Sonia, 25.All three deny conspiracy to arrange the travel of another person with a view to exploitation

The prosecution claims the procedure was not legal as the potential organ donor was a street trader from Lagos who had no altruistic motive or family connection with the recipient.

The Old Bailey has been told it was a ‘transactional’ deal, with the man to be paid up to 3.5m Naira, the equivalent of £7,000,for the harvesting of his body part and the promise of opportunities in the UK. 

He was tested in Nigeria and found to be a match for Sonia before being brought to the UK. 

The jury heard that Ms Agbasonu, who worked as a medical secretary at the clinic and spoke Igbo, stepped in to interpret during an initial meeting on February 24 between Dr Peter Dupont and the donor from Nigeria. 

The consultant had concluded the man, who cannot be named for EvDeN EvE NaKliYAT legal reasons, was not an appropriate candidate and appeared relived that the transplant would not take place. 

However, according to messages from others, Ms Agbasonu appeared to agree to manipulate a second meeting to the advantage of the Ekweremadu family.

Mr Ekweremadu’s brother Diwe, who had medical training, allegedly sent Sonia Ekweremadu advice from the interpreter to show a clear family connection with the donor. 

Ike, a former barrister, is a member of the centre-right Peoples Democratic Party and was the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate for EvDEN EvE Nakliyat three consecutive terms 

Beatrice (pictured) said the donor had been found via a third party. She stated that she was ‘devastated’ when further tests after his arrival in the UK found he was not a match

He allegedly said: ‘Ebere said it would be easier to establish that his mum and your mum are sisters.If we stretch it to the grandmum and grandmum the relationship will be too distant.’

Ms Ekweremadu allegedly replied with: ‘Ok, that’s fine.’ 

Diwe then allegedly laid out a financial agreement with her father, saying: ‘I’ve met the Igbo interpreter.She agreed to work with us. She will be involved in coaching the boy, and eVDEN Eve naKliYaT during his consultation and interviews she will be providing the relevant interpretation.

‘She insisted that I give her £1,500. I think the just position themselves to exploit people.’ 

It is claimed the potential donor was told to pretend to be Sonia’s cousin. 

Diwe is also alleged to have said: ‘We had a meeting today with her so I’ve introduced her to Chinoso (Sonia) and (the donor).She advised that (the donor) comes to the hospital on Tuesday and Thursday while Chinoso (Sonia) is having her dialysis.

‘Psychologically everyone in the team will have to accept that he’s really committed to his cousin’s health and it usually makes it easier to accept the person for the procedure.’

Prosecutor Hugh Davies KC suggested to the court the messages demonstrated the opposite of an altruistic organ donation. 

Ike has denied all the allegations and said he had not arranged the travel of anyone to the UK

Beatrice Ekweremadu (fron) and Sonia Ekweremadu (behind) at the Old Bailey

The court heard that the potential donor and interpreter attended a meeting with a surgeon at the hospital on March 11. 

After the meeting, Diwe allegedly messaged Ms Ekweremadu’s father, saying: ‘I have spoken with (the interpreter).She said the boy did better today but he’s still showing so much timidity. If you liked this report and you would like to receive more details concerning EVDEn eve NAkLiYAt kindly visit our own web page.  

‘She covered up for him and evDen eVE NakliyAT added the words as much as possible. The surgeon will discuss with Dr Dupont and they will communicate us. They will continue to work on the boy’s confidence.Ebere and Obinna.’

But, the surgeon agreed with the initial assessment made by Dr Dupont that the donor was unsuitable. Ms Ekweremadu was informed of the decision on March 29.   

Mr Davies told the court the interpreter was also involved in Dr Obeta’s own transplant. 

The jury heard that Dr Obeta, also on trial with the family, had secured a kidney transplant at the Royal Free Hospital in 2021, with a donor purporting to be his cousin. 

Mr Davies told jurors an affidavit was the only evidence of a relation between the two men. 

‘Whatever the truth of any of that, the basis of his transplant process provided a clear model for what Sonia needed in her moment of crisis,’ he told the court. 

Jurors heard that Dr Obeta had trained at medical school with Diwe, who remains in Nigeria and is not on trial.

Medical ‘middleman’ Dr Obinna Obeta (pictured) is also on trial with the family at the Old Bailey 

Ike Ekweremadu (left) and wife Beatrice Ekweremadu (right) are on trial at the Old Bailey

Confusion reigned at

Confusion reigned at ‘s school in  on Thursday after the principal said it was closing permanently, only for parents hours later to email all and say classes would continue.

Reports then emerged that the teachers had quit – following the string of controversial and antisemitic rants its founder has made in recent weeks.

It was not clear how many teachers had quit, and how many remained, but the chaos comes amid  following his tweets.

Donda Academy, in the Simi Valley, is highly secretive, with parents signing a non-disclosure agreement to keep the school’s location secret and agreeing to say nothing about it.

There are believed to be around 100 students from pre-K to 12th grade paying $15,000 a year, and 16 teachers.

On Wednesday, the principal, Jason Angell, sent an email to parents explaining that West, 45, had decided to close the school ‘effective immediately,’ with classes being cancelled as of Thursday.

Around midnight on Wednesday, however, parents at the exclusive Christian school received the following morning.

‘Join us tomorrow morning in worship for the return of Donda Academy,’ the email read. 

‘With the help of our parents and community, we are back and returning with a vengeance!’

Kanye West’s exclusive Christian school announced it would be closing for the remainder of the 2022-23 school year as the rapper continues to face fallout for his repeated anti-semitic comments

Students at West’s Donda Academy wear black Balenciaga uniforms designed by West himself.Above, EvdEn eVE NaKLiYaT Celtics basketball player Jaylen Brown pays a visit to the school. Brown this week said he was severing ties with West

A school in the Simi Valley, just north of Los Angeles, evdeN eve NAKliYat which is believed to be the Donda Academy

West returned to Instagram t around his anti-Semitic behavior, which has included repeated claims of ‘Jewish people’ in the media conspiring against him, and Planned Parenthood controlling black populations through genocidal abortions. 

On Thursday the rapper said on Instagram that he ‘lost 2 billion dollars in one day’ in an apparent reference to the flock of brands which have dropped him in the wake of his bigoted behavior.

This week Adidas dropped his Yeezy shoe line – a deal which was worth $1.5billion – with Gap, Footlocker, TJ Maxx, and Balenciaga all following suit and cutting ties with the rapper.

Donda Academy’s closure and sudden reopening come just two months after it started up in August. 

The school did not respond to DailyMail.com requests for comment. 

The exclusive pre-K through 12 school – named after West’s mother, Donda – is located in a secret location in the Simi Valley just north of Los Angeles, and charges $15,000 per student.About half the student body receives financial aid and scholarships, according to The Post.

There are reportedly a number of celebrities’ children in attendance – including R&B singer Keyshia Cole’s son Daniel – and the school is well known for its high-powered basketball team.Rising star Robert Dillingham, 17, plays for the school, EvDen EVE nAKLiYAT and NBA players like Celtics player Jaylen Brown have made appearances at the school. 

Students wear all black Balenciaga uniforms and Yeezy shoes designed by West himself.

Despite running the school, West’s children do not attend, and he has clashed with Kim Kardashian on the matter.

West previously complained on social media that Kim wouldn’t agree to send their four children for eVdEn EvE nAkLiYat ‘[two] days at one school, three days at another.’ 

As of September the school had not yet been accredited, according to the , which means colleges might not accept diplomas from the school.

The Donda Academy website states that the school’s goal is ‘to provide the youth with the passion, purpose and spiritual foundations they need to thrive in tomorrow’s world.’

The curriculum has a strong focus on Christianity, the arts, and math and science.Students can take parkour as a physical activity, and the school has a strong high school basketball program. When you have just about any questions about exactly where and also the best way to use EvdEN EVe NaKLiyAt, it is possible to e mail us with the web-page.  

The school enrolls about 100 students and eVDeN eVe naKliYAT 16 teachers, with a number of students being the children of celebrities

The exclusive pre-K through 12 Donda Academy is located in a secret location in the Simi Valley just north of Los Angeles, and charges $15,000 per student

Parents sign a non-disclosure agreement to keep the school’s location secret

The curriculum has a strong focus on Christianity, the arts, and math and science.Students can take parkour as a physical activity, and the school has a strong high school basketball program

Angell emailed parents on Wednesday announcing the school’s closure for the remainder of the school year.

‘At the discretion of our founder, Donda Academy will close for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year effective immediately, he wrote.

‘There is no school tomorrow [Thursday].’

Angell noted that the school’s leadership would help parents and students transition into their new school, and added that the Donda would begin ‘afresh’ in September 2023. 

On Wednesday the school’s basketball team was booted from the The Scholastic Play-By-Play Classics tournament, saying West’s ‘words and actions violate our values as a company and a country, and what we seek to ensure at all of our events – a spirit of diversity, sportsmanship, inclusion, equity and mutual respect.’

Representatives for the tournament expressed their remorse that West’s words cost his students the experience of participating in the coveted high school basketball tournament. 

‘While we are firm in our reasoning for this decision, it does not diminish our heartache and regret for Donda’s hardworking athletes who will lose out the most as a result of Kanye’s actions,’ the school added. 

‘Unfortunately, we cannot in good conscience host an organization founded and directed by Mr.West at our events.’

TJ Maxx has become the latest company to sever ties with Kanye West in the wake of his vile anti-Semitic outbursts (pictured on Wednesday at a bagel shop in Los Angeles before arriving at the Skechers HQ) 

He was seen near a parking lot before he was escorted out of Sketchers HQ

TJ Maxx, whose CEO is Ernie Herrman (pictured in 2014) follows Gap and Foot Locker in no longer stocking any Yeezy merchandise in its stores 

On Wednesday, the rapper was embarrassingly escorted out of Skechers headquarters after showing up unannounced to pitch his Yeezy brand a day after being dropped by Adidas and having his songs banned by Peloton.

Ye was taken out by two ‘executives’ according to a statement released by the company Wednesday afternoon. 

 said in a statement: ‘Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorized filming, two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation. Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West.

‘We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate anti-Semitism or any other form of hate speech.The Company would like to again stress that West showed up unannounced and uninvited to Skechers corporate offices.’ 

West may have faced additional opposition if he had gotten a preapproved sit-down meeestimates comes from real estate, cash, his music catalog, and a 5 percent stake in ex-wife Kim Kardashian’s shapewear firm, Skims.

But as corporations around the world break off deals with Ye, music streaming service said it would not remove the rapper’s music unless his label requested it.

Recent anti-Semitic remarks made by the rapper are ‘just awful comments,’ and would have warranted removal from Spotify for violating its policies if they had been on a podcast or recording, Spotify chief Daniel Ek said.

However, music from the artist now known as Ye does not violate anti-hate policies, and any anti-Semitic comments he has made cannot be found on the music streaming platform.

‘It’s really just his music, and his music doesn’t violate our policy,’ said Ek, adding, ‘It’s up to his label, if they want to take action or not.’

Universal Music’s Def Jam label, which owns the copyright to West’s recordings from 2002 through 2016, and continued distributing his releases until last year, issued a statement condemning Ye’s remarks, saying: ‘There is no place for anti-Semitism in our society’.But the label has not asked for the removal of Ye’s recordings, many of which are critically acclaimed works.

Kanye West has seen several high profile and lucrative partnerships with major brands severed amid the backlash from anti-Semitic remarks

Ye has refused to walk back his remarks, blaming Jewish people for his mental health struggles in a recent podcast

A pair of Yeezy shoes are seen in a Foot Locker store on the day Adidas terminated its partnership with the American rapper and designer Kanye West, now known as Ye, in Garden City, New York, U.S., October 25, 2022

ALISON BOSHOFF: Adele's earns £2million for commuting to Las Vegas

The stakes are high, as Adele and her team know only too well.Yesterday saw the first night of her now notoriously delayed four-month residency at Caesars Palace Colosseum in .

One down, 31 more potentially perilous performances to go.Now there is one overriding concern among her team: for the sake of Adele’s reputation, there can be not one single cancellation this time round.

Everyone is utterly focused on avoiding the pitfalls of the past, eVDEn eVe NAkliYAt when Adele reached for a grand Vegas spectacle — only to crash embarrassingly to earth after deciding to cancel her planned shows in January less than 24 hours before she was due on stage, emotionally declaring ‘It just ain’t ready’.

Local Vegas journalist Scott Roeben — who broke the news of her residency back in 2021 — tells me Caesars Palace has been ‘working hard’ to make sure this tour is as drama-free as possible.

Everyone is utterly focused on avoiding the pitfalls of the past, when Adele reached for a grand Vegas spectacle — only to crash embarrassingly to earth after deciding to cancel her planned shows in January

‘What everyone is concerned about is that she really needs to not cancel one show because people fear another backlash would be very, very damaging.She already has a reputation as a diva. She cannot let the fans down again.’

Adele has long said she wants all her Vegas shows to be ‘intimate’ — the theatre at Caesars seats just 4,100 people, tiny for eVDEN eve nakliYAT a woman who can fill stadiums — and hopes to natter away between songs and invite fans from the audience to join her on stage every night.Tickets are said to be selling for a staggering $38,000 a pop. Fans know how rare it is to see an idol this close up.

Some insiders believe the chance to see Adele live will be even rarer in the future: that this Vegas tour could well be her last.

Scott Roeben is one.He says: ‘The belief is this will be something of a swansong run. The gild is off the lily in terms of record sales, and Adele has said she wants to have a baby and do a college degree, her focus really is moving away from music. Her heart just isn’t in it.’

Adele has long said she wants all her Vegas shows to be ‘intimate’ — the theatre at Caesars seats just 4,100 people, tiny for a woman who can fill stadiums

For now, though, broody or not, Adele simply has to get through the residency.And that is no straightforward task: afflicted by stage fright, she is something of a tortured performer. Rehearsing, as she put it herself, for ‘12 hours a f***ing day’, she said last month when discussing her preparations: ‘I’m sick and tired of anything musical.’

Her remarks don’t quite reflect the enthusiastic tone you expect to hear from an artist.While she arguably had something to prove for past performances, like her world tour in 2016 — an experience she says she is ‘still getting over’ — that drive has abated.

It’s perhaps this emotion which was at the forefront on Thursday night as Adele tweeted of her extreme pre-show nerves, saying she felt a ‘million miles away from home. If you loved this article and you would love to receive details relating to EvDen eve NakliyAT kindly visit the internet site. ‘

She went on: ‘Maybe it’s because I didn’t start when I was supposed to.Maybe it’s because it’s opening night, maybe it’s because Hyde Park went so great, maybe it’s because I love the show I don’t know. But it’s safe to say I’ve never been more nervous before a show in my career, but at the same time I wish today was tomorrow! I can’t wait to see you out there x.’

Yesterday saw the first night of her now notoriously delayed four-month residency at Caesars Palace Colosseum in Las Vegas

Offering her bolstering reassurance throughout is her loyal team — stylist Jamie Mizrahi, hair stylist Sami Knight and manicurist Michelle Humphrey.They will be with her every weekend, as will her boyfriend, the sports agent Rich Paul.

In the run-up to the show’s cancellation, insiders said the pair were constantly ‘in the middle of an emotional shout-out’ during rehearsals but their relationship is now stronger than ever and they have since moved in together.

Long-time managers Jonathan Dickens and Rose Moon will also be on hand.

And while Adele’s contract may tie her to four months of performing, it will undoubtedly be a feather-bedded prison.

When in town, she will stay in a £30,000 suite at Caesars Palace, with its own butler — which comes gratis for the performer as part of their agreement.

And while Adele’s contract may tie her to four months of performing, it will undoubtedly be a feather-bedded prison (Pictured: front of Caesars Palace, Las Vegas)

Some insiders believe the chance to see Adele live will be even rarer in the future: that this Vegas tour could well be her last

Between November and March she will spend just one night a week in the desert city in order to perform twice, flying to Vegas on a Friday to perform, sleep over, and then make the short flight back to Los Angeles every Saturday after she comes off stage.

It is possibly the world’s most lucrative commute: she is earning nearly $1 million per show.

More than that, cannily, Adele has apparently struck a deal through which she receives a whopping 50 per cent cut of the merchandise.Expensive branded goods adorn the shelves of the Caesars Palace shop.

Here you can spend $110 on a ‘Rolling in the Deep’ sweatshirt, snap up socks with glasses of wine on them, buy necklaces which read ‘divorced’ and even get Adele-branded tissues.

What won’t be seen, however, are the giant onstage white floating staircase and notorious water feature — damned by Adele as a ‘baggy old pond’ — which were planned the first time around.

Indeed, for all her complaints about long rehearsals, it’s clear that behind the scenes, many hundreds of others have also long been working hard, collectively holding their breath in the hope that the new set would pass muster to please the mercurial Adele.

Adele has apparently struck a deal through which she receives a whopping 50 per cent cut of the merchandise

While back in January, the singer had fired set designer Esmeralda Devlin, a hugely respected professional, ‘in a panic’ after a ‘butting of heads’, things were calmer second time round.

Sources suggest Adele demanded constant changes in the run-up to the first opening night, and had never really been clear about what she wanted.In Devlin’s place is Londoner Kim Gavin, who warmed up for this gig with visits to Vegas over the summer, eVdeN eve Nakliyat and took charge of her set at the Hyde Park concerts in July, where Adele performed in front of an understated curtain of gold and bronze discs which blew in the breeze and EVden eVe nakLiYAT caught the lights.

Gavin has just completed the staging for a show featuring the world of Bond at the Royal Albert Hall — a fairly comparable venue in size as well as a comparable concert in tone.

Back in January, Adele pinned the blame for the cancelled show firmly on Covid, tearfully declaring: ‘Half my crew and team are [ill] with Covid and still are, and it’s been impossible to finish the show.’

Since then, however, she’s returned several times to the question of why she pulled the rug on a $150 million production — and it’s notable that the excuse of Covid has been ditched.

In July she told BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs that the primary issues had been artistic.

And despite fans losing thousands of pounds in travel and hotel bills, for which Adele said she was ‘devastated’, eVden eve nAkLiYaT she was also notably defiant.

‘I don’t think any other artist would have done what I did and that is why it was such a massive, massive story.It was like, “I don’t care. You can’t buy me, you can’t buy me for nothing. I’m not going to just do a show because I have to or because people are going to be let down or because we’re going to lose loads of money.” ‘

Scott Roeben, however, observes: ‘It was damaging to her because of who she was as a performer.

‘The expectation of her because of the music is of someone who is genuine and straightforward, and this seemed not to be.

‘I believe she was upset, I don’t think she was pretending to be upset — but I do think that she was looking for a reason to explain the cancellation.

‘She didn’t want to look like a cry baby or temperamental artist so she picked on Covid — maybe ten per cent of the reason and made that into the reason.

‘The initial postponement was primarily an artistic decision coloured by her problems behind the scenes and problems with the creative team, and really not much to do with Covid.’

This time round, says Roeben of Casino.org: ‘It’s going to be an Adele show, but not a Vegas show.I think that last time they were trying to bring it up to a level with Katy Perry and Lady Gaga but that wall-to-wall spectacle never felt right for her.’

Now, though, comes her chance to wipe away those memories, and repair that reputational damage.

Adele has promised those who have bought tickets: ‘I’m going to give you the absolute best of me.’

But there’s a real possibility that it could be for the last time.

Russians mock America for swapping arms dealer for Brittney Griner

Vladimir ‘s top allies in Russia are mocking America over the recent prisoner swap that saw the US release convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for WNBA star , claiming that Russia got the better end of the deal.

Maria Butina, the pro-Putin MP elected to Russia’s Duma after serving a US prison sentence for acting as an unregistered foreign agent, eVDEn evE NAKLiyAT led the charge in taunting the US over Thursday’s exchange. 

‘The fact that Russia pushed through the exchange of Bout, whom America fundamentally did not want to give away for many years, right now means that, like in The Godfather, we “made them an offer that cannot be refused,”‘ Butina boasted in Russian on her Telegram channel. 

‘This is a position of strength, comrades,’ added Butina, who was deported back to Russia in 2019 after serving an 18-month sentence in the US.

On Thursday, the US and Russia announced that Griner, who was sentenced to nine years of hard prison time on cannabis-related charges, had been exchanged for Bout. 

Maria Butina (left), the pro-Putin MP in Russia’s Duma, led the charge in taunting the US for releasing Viktor Bout (right on Thursday) in exchange for WBNA star Brittney Griner

Butina, who was deported back to Russia in 2019 after serving an 18-month sentence in the US, boasted on her Telegram channel about the trade

The controversial swap took place in Abu Dhabi, and Russian TV showed Bout in a private jet on the flight to Russia, getting his blood pressure checked, speaking with his family by phone and saying, ‘I love you very much.’

Bout’s mother, Raisa, thanked President Vladimir Putin and the Foreign Ministry for freeing her son, Tass reported.It added that he would be invited to speak to lawmakers on the Duma’s International Affairs committee.

On Channel One Russia, the state-run news outlet widely watched in Russia, an announcer hailed Bout as a ‘legendary figure’ who had suffered ‘persecution’ and ‘illegal extradition to the United States’.

Online comments from Russian-speakers also tended to celebrate Bout’s release, with some hailing him as a ‘hero’. 

‘Finally. He’s been sitting in jail for years. Freedom,’ wrote one commenter on YouTube. 

‘Finally the family will be reunited.Congratulations for the return of Viktor. I wrote him a letter in America with words of support. If you have any kind of concerns regarding where and ways to make use of EvDEN eVE NAkliYat, you could call us at our own web page. I’m very glad this part of history is over,’ another wrote. 

Griner is seen on her way to being swapped in the prisoner trade in Abu Dhabi

‘Finally.He’s been sitting in jail for years. Freedom,’ wrote one commenter on YouTube

‘This is such a big win for America, but at the same time a huge fail.Trading a figure like Bout for a basketball player…’ read a comment on a sports news site

‘Finally the family will be reunited.Congratulations for the return of Viktor. I wrote him a letter in America with words of support. I’m very glad this part of history is over.’

‘He is a Russian hero’ one comment read. 

‘This is such a big win for America, but at the same time a huge fail.Trading a figure like Bout for a basketball player…’ read a comment on a sports news site.

Other Russian-language comments were skeptical of the deal, and slammed Russia for imprisoning Griner. 

‘What shame and eVdeN eve Nakliyat embarrassment!They took an innocent person hostage, EVDEn evE NAkLiYat blamed her for something, the devils, just to trade in for a criminal!’ one read on YouTube.

‘Happy for Griner. But this creates an unpleasant precedent in the sense that it is already dangerous for any US citizen to visit Russia.They can make up any nonsense to keep them there,’ another person wrote. 

Bout is widely known abroad as the ‘Merchant of Death’ international arms dealer who fueled some of the world’s worst conflicts.

The 2005 Nicolas Cage movie ‘Lord of War’ was loosely based on Bout, eVDEN EvE NAKliyAt a former Soviet air force officer who gained fame supposedly by supplying weapons for civil wars in South America, the Middle East and Africa. 

His clients were said to include Liberia’s Charles Taylor, longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and both sides in Angola’s civil war.

In Russia, Bout is seen as a swashbuckling businessman who was unjustly imprisoned after an overly aggressive US sting operation

Russian TV showed Bout in a private jet on the flight to Russia, getting his blood pressure checked, speaking with his family by phone and saying, ‘I love you very much.’

‘What shame and embarrassment!They took an innocent person hostage, blamed her for something, the devils, just to trade in for a criminal!’ one read on YouTube

‘Happy for Griner.But this creates an unpleasant precedent in the sense that it is already dangerous for any US citizen to visit Russia. They can make up any nonsense to keep them there,’ another person wrote

In Russia, EvDen eVe nakliYat however, he’s seen as a swashbuckling businessman who was unjustly imprisoned after an overly aggressive US sting operation. 

Russia had pressed for Bout´s release for years and as speculation grew about such a deal, the upper house of parliament opened a display of paintings he made in prison – whose subjects ranged from Soviet dictator Josef Stalin to a kitten. 

The show of his art underlined Bout’s complexities.Though in a bloody business, the 55-year-old was a vegetarian and classical music fan who is said to speak six languages.

Even the former federal judge who sentenced him in 2011 thought his 11 years behind bars was adequate punishment.

‘He´s done enough time for what he did in this case,’ Shira A.Scheindlin told The Associated Press in July as prospects for his release appeared to rise.

Griner, who was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February after vape canisters containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage, was sentenced in August to nine years in prison. 

Washington protested her sentence as disproportionate, and some observers suggested that trading an arms merchant for someone jailed for a small amount of drugs would be a poor deal.

Bout was convicted in 2011 on terrorism charges.Prosecutors said he was ready to sell up to $20 million in weapons, including surface-to-air missiles to shoot down U.S. helicopters. When they made the claim at his 2012 sentencing, Bout shouted: ‘It’s a lie!’

Alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout looks out from inside the detention center while waiting for a hearing on extradition at criminal court on May 19, 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand

Bout has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence, describing himself as a legitimate businessman who didn´t sell weapons.

Bout’s case fit well into Moscow’s narrative that Washington sought to trap and oppress innocent Russians on flimsy grounds.

‘From the resonant Bout case, a real `hunt´ by Americans for Russian citizens around the world has unfolded,’ the government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta wrote last year.

Increasingly, Russia cited his case as a human rights issue.His wife and lawyer claimed his health deteriorated in the harsh prison environment where foreigners are not always eligible for breaks that Americans might receive.

Bout had not been scheduled to be released until 2029. He was held in a medium-security facility in Marion, Illinois.

‘He got a hard deal,’ said Scheindlin, the retired judge, noting the U.S.sting operatives ‘put words in his mouth’ so he’d say he was aware Americans could die from weapons he sold in order to require a terrorism enhancement that would force a long prison sentence, if not a life term.

Scheindlin gave Bout the mandatory minimum 25-year sentence but said she did so only because it was required.

Viktor Bout is escorted by members of a special police unit after a hearing at a criminal court in Bangkok October 5, 2010

At the time, his defense lawyer claimed the U.S.targeted Bout vindictively because it was embarrassed that his companies helped deliver goods to American military contractors involved in the war in Iraq.

The deliveries occurred despite United Nations sanctions imposed against Bout since 2001 because of his reputation as a notorious illegal arms dealer.

Prosecutors had urged Scheindlin to impose a life sentence, saying that if Bout was right to call himself nothing more than a businessman, ‘he was a businessman of the most dangerous order.’

Bout was estimated to be worth about $6 billion in March 2008 when he was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand. 

U.S. authorities tricked him into leaving Russia for what he thought was a meeting over a business deal to ship what prosecutors described as ‘a breathtaking arsenal of weapons – including hundreds of surface-to-air missiles, machine guns and sniper rifles – 10 million rounds of ammunition and five tons of plastic explosives.’

He was taken into custody at a Bangkok luxury hotel after conversations with the Drug Enforcement Administration sting operation´s informants who posed as officials of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as the FARC.The group had been classified by Washington as a narco-terrorist group.

He was brought to the U.S. in November 2010.

The ‘Merchant of Death’ moniker was attached to Bout by a high-ranking minister of Britain´s Foreign Office.The nickname was included in the U.S. government´s indictment of Bout.