US sentence for arms dealer Bout 'political' - Russia  Viktor
Bout (centre) shown in a courtroom illustration in New York, 5
April Bout is appealing against the sentence  Related Stories
Moscow has condemned the US prison sentence for arms dealer
Viktor Bout as "political" and says the case will be a priority
in relations with Washington.  Bout was jailed for 25 years by a
judge in New York for attempting to sell heavy arms to Colombian
rebels intending to attack US pilots.  The ex-Soviet officer,
who is suspected of dealing in arms since the 1990s, insists he
is innocent of the charge.  Moscow may seek to have him
transferred to Russia to serve his sentence.  Bout, a Russian
citizen, was finally convicted last year after his arrest in
Bangkok, Thailand, in 2008 following a sting operation in which
US informants posed as Colombian rebels.  Sentencing was delayed
twice as his lawyer sought more time to prepare and accused
prosecutors of "outrageous government conduct" for allegedly
entrapping the Russian.  Ju