Merchant of Death shows off art in Moscow after prisoner swap with basketballer

Bout’s art exhibition features a wide gamut of styles and subjects — from portraits of Soviet-era movie stars to warplanes to animals.

Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the United States, speaks to the media prior to an opening ceremony of the exhibition of his artworks at the Mosfilm studio in Moscow (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

A former Russian arms dealer released from a US prison in a swap for basketballer Brittney Griner is showing off his artwork at a Moscow gallery.

Viktor Bout, dubbed the Merchant of Death, was convicted of terrorism charges in 2011, with prosecutors saying he was ready to sell up to $20m (€18.8m) in weapons – including surface-to-air missiles to shoot down American helicopters.