BANGKOK, August 14 (RIA Novosti) - Thai prosecutors representing Washington in the trial of Russian businessman Viktor Bout have lodged an appeal against the court's refusal to extradite him to the U.S., Bout's lawyer confirmed on Friday.
The lawyer said he had received on Friday a copy of the appeal against the court's decision on Tuesday to turn down the extradition request for Bout, wanted by Washington on suspicion of arms trafficking.
Reuters quoted the prosecutors as saying that the court had received "their intention to appeal" on Thursday and they had 30 days to formally submit the case.
Bout's defense team will then have 15 days to prepare its response. The appeals court's ruling will be final, as Thailand's Supreme Court does not review extradition cases.
Former Russian army officer Bout, 42, 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."
If convicted in the United States on the terrorism-related charges, he could be sentenced to life in prison.
The Thai court said on Tuesday that FARC was not considered a terrorist group in Thailand, but a political movement, and Bout's alleged crimes were political offenses, ruling out the possibility of extradition.
It also said the Thai-U.S. extradition treaty did not apply as Bout's alleged crimes could not be prosecuted in Thailand and did not involve Thai citizens or Thai interests.
Washington expressed disappointment with the Thai court's decision. But the ruling was welcomed by Russia, which has repeatedly said the arrest was politically motivated and criticized the pressure it said was being applied on Thailand by Washington.
