A federal court in New York has set the beginning of a trial against alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for September 12, a U.S. judge said.
The court held preliminary hearings on Bout's case on Friday.
Former Soviet military officer Bout was arrested in Thailand in March 2008 during a sting operation led by U.S. agents. He was extradited to the United States in November, 2010, after spending more than two and half years in Thai prisons.
The charges, which Bout denies, include conspiring to supply arms to terrorist groups and kill U.S. nationals. Bout is being represented by a U.S. lawyer appointed by the federal court where his trial is being heard.
NEW YORK, January 22 (RIA Novosti)