Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who was sentenced to 25 years 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, Russia, Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Bout has been brought back to Russia as a result of an agreement to exchange him for US basketball player Brittney Griner. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

MOSCOW (AP) — Viktor Bout, a former Russian arms dealer who was released from a U.S. prison in a swap for WNBA star Brittney Griner in December, has unveiled an exhibition of his artworks in Moscow. Bout, widely known abroad as the “Merchant of Death,” was convicted in 2011 on terrorism charges with prosecutors saying that he was ready to sell up to $20 million in weapons, including surface-to-air missiles to shoot down U.S. helicopters. He strongly denied the charges and proclaimed his innocence, describing himself as a legitimate entrepreneur who didn’t sell any weapons. Russian officials have cast him as a victim of a nefarious U.S. sting operation and demanded his release for many years. His exhibition opened Tuesday.