Thai prosecutors will appeal against a court decision rejecting a US request to extradite alleged arms dealer Victor Bout, reports say.
Mr Bout, known at the Merchant of Death, has been fighting extradition since March 2008, after being accused of agreeing to supply missiles to Colombian rebels.
But a court in Bangkok today said they did not have the authority to order extradition, because the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) was not listed as a terrorist group in Thailand.
But the kingdom's state prosecutor formally told the court on Thursday that he would lodge an appeal against the ruling, according to Sirisak Tiyapan, executive director of international affairs at the Thai foreign office.
'The prosecutor has told the court that he intends to appeal against the decision. We are in the process of seeking the official ruling,' Mr Sirisak told the AFP news agency.
The decision means Mr Bout could be detained in Thailand for some time. The court would have released him today if prosecutors had not appealed.
The 42-year-old, who is a former Soviet air force officer, was arrested after allegedly agreeing to supply surface-to-air missiles to US agents posing as rebels from Farc. He denies the charges.
Mr Bout, known at the Merchant of Death, has been fighting extradition since March 2008, after being accused of agreeing to supply missiles to Colombian rebels.
But a court in Bangkok today said they did not have the authority to order extradition, because the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) was not listed as a terrorist group in Thailand.
But the kingdom's state prosecutor formally told the court on Thursday that he would lodge an appeal against the ruling, according to Sirisak Tiyapan, executive director of international affairs at the Thai foreign office.
'The prosecutor has told the court that he intends to appeal against the decision. We are in the process of seeking the official ruling,' Mr Sirisak told the AFP news agency.
The decision means Mr Bout could be detained in Thailand for some time. The court would have released him today if prosecutors had not appealed.
The 42-year-old, who is a former Soviet air force officer, was arrested after allegedly agreeing to supply surface-to-air missiles to US agents posing as rebels from Farc. He denies the charges.
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