Appearing on CNN's "New Day," the lawyer for the Russian arms dealer at the center of the swap for basketball start Brittney Griner with Russia was put on the spot by host John Avlon when he was asked about his career history that led him to be dubbed the "merchant of death."
According to attorney Steve Zissou, Viktor Bout, who was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after his conviction in 2011 for conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and supplying terrorist groups with weapons should be a serious candidate in the swap negotiations which led the CNN host to bring up Bout's criminal past.
"Your client is a notorious international arms dealer, known as the merchant of death," Avlon began. "Why is it so important for the Russian regime to get him back?"
"The easiest answer is at the time the U.S. government targeted Bout, he was retired, living in Moscow, no longer in the transportation business," Zissou offered.
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"Transportation business -- that's your story," Avlon shot back.
"Yeah. what do you mean that's my story? It's true," the attorney parried.
"He's an arms dealer," Avlon pointed out.
"He transported a lot of things, he transported for the U.S. government back --," Zissou attempted only to have Avlon cut him off and assert, "It's a delicate euphemism for arms trading."
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"Well, it's no worse than this merchant of death moniker that you folks in the media have continued to use on him, it's really not so," the attorney insisted before continuing, "Frankly, in this country, we have more arms dealers who contribute to mass violence and mass killings in this country and are responsible for more deaths in the U.S. than Viktor Bout ever has."
"We'll get you on that other topic on another day," the CNN host replied. "Specifically on this issue, I mean, on the one hand, an international arms dealer, priority for the Kremlin, in exchange for a WNBA player and an American citizen. Does that seem equal to you? Does that seem balanced as an American?"
"Well, I'm not here as an American, I'm here as Viktor Bout's attorney," the undeterred Zissou replied with a smile.
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