Defense lawyers representing alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout are planning to submit another bail request to a Thai appeals court, after the previous appeal was rejected, one of Bout's lawyers said on Friday.

Former Russian army officer Bout, 42, remained in custody in a Thai jail after the Bangkok Criminal Court refused in August to extradite him to the United States, where he is facing four terrorism-related charges and a possible life sentence.

"This is not the first rejection of our bail appeal. We will continue lodging appeals until our client is freed on bail," Lak Nitiwatanavichan said.

Bangkok's appeals court rejected on November 24 a previous bail request by Bout's lawyers, citing again an appeal by the Thai prosecutors representing the United States against the criminal court's ruling in August that Bout should not be sent to the United States to stand trial and due to the "high risk of the Russian leaving Thailand."

Bout, a former Soviet air force officer, has been linked to some of the world's most notorious conflicts, allegedly supplying arms to former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

He was arrested in Thailand in March 2008 during a sting operation led by U.S. agents.

The United States has accused Bout of conspiring with others to sell millions of dollars' worth of weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), among other illegal arms deals, and "threatening lives of U.S. citizens."

Bout has repeatedly denied the accusations.

The Bangkok Criminal Court ruled in favor of Bout in August and refused to extradite the Russian businessman to the United States citing insufficient grounds.

Thai prosecutors representing Washington in the trial lodged an appeal on August 26 against the Bangkok court's ruling. The appeal process could take several months but the appeals court ruling will be final, as Thailand's Supreme Court does not review extradition cases.

"It is unfair when a person wins a court case but remains in jail only because he is a foreigner and could presumably flee the country," Nitiwatanavichan said.

BANGKOK, December 4 (RIA Novosti)