The Thai defense counsel for Russian businessman Viktor Bout, awaiting extradition to the United States on charges of selling weapons to terrorists, petitioned Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday to stop Bout's extradition.

"This afternoon I lodged a petition with the prime minister's office requesting that the appeals court ruling be suspended and the issue of Viktor Bout's extradition be reviewed," Lac Nitiwat Wichan told RIA Novosti.

Wichan's petition asks the prime minister and the cabinet "to take into account that Viktor Bout's trial in the United States may not be fair and that Viktor Bout's life and health will be endangered in the U.S.," he said.

Bout, whose extradition to the United States was ordered by the Thai appeals court on August 20, claimed he had never been involved in the arms trade and that there was no evidence of his involvement in the business.

Bout said on Friday he knows no Russian state or military secrets.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Thai court's decision was politically motivated, and suggested it was made to please Washington. He said Moscow would seek Bout's repatriation.

A former Russian army officer, 44 year-old Bout was arrested in March 2008 at the request of the United States.

BANGKOK, August 30 (RIA Novosti)