Suspected Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, who is in Thai custody awaiting extradition to the United States, has made an appeal to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a Russian business daily said on Friday.
Bout asked Medvedev to provide his family with legal and financial assistance since his family "has neither strengths nor the means to independently struggle against the U.S. state and security services".
The letter of appeal was read out by Bout's mother at a press conference in Moscow at which his family and lawyer were present.
Bout, dubbed the Merchant of Death by world media, was arrested in March 2008 at the request of the United States, which accuses him of illegal arms trading.
RIA Novosti
