"The decision should be taken soon," Tarasov told RIA Novosti adding that, from his experience, it may take from a week to several months.
Current reopening of the case comes due to what his lawyers claim to be newly discovered evidence. The central argument of the defense is based upon the fact that Bout's alleged co-conspirator, Andrew Smulian, was a government informant, which rules out the possibility of Bout's complicity.
Bout was arrested in Bangkok in 2008 in a joint operation between Thai and US authorities, on charges of conspiring to kill US nationals by allegedly agreeing to supply Colombian militants with weapons. Undercover agents posing as members of Colombia’s FARC rebel group were used as part of the operation. Bout was extradited from Thailand to the United States where he is now serving a 25-year sentence.
