Hakeem al-Araibi: Thailand to free Bahraini footballer

Thai authorities drop extradition case against refugee, meaning he can return to Australia

Helen Davidson in Sydney and Hannah Ellis-Petersenin Bangkok
Mon 11 Feb 2019 11.18 GMT

The refugee Bahraini footballer Hakeem al-Araibi is set to return to Australia on Monday night after Thai authorities withdrew an extradition case against him.

Thai authorities told the Guardian the Bahraini government had decided to end their pursuit of Al-Araibi, who fled Bahrain in 2014 before being granted permanent residence in Australia, where he has lived since.

Al-Araibi, 25, has spent more than 70 days in detention after travelling to Bangkok for a honeymoon with his wife on 27 November. He was arrested on arrival after Bahrain obtained an Interpol red notice arrest warrant against him, even though Interpol policy dictates that red notices cannot be issued against refugees on behalf of the countries they fled.

Al-Araibi had been jailed and beaten in Bahrain during a crackdown on pro-democracy athletes. He was later sentenced in absentia to 10 years in jail over an act of vandalism he maintains he could not have committed because he was playing in a televised football match.

Before Monday Bahrain had stood firm on its allegations against Al-Araibi and denial of all accusations of human rights abuses, despite a mounting international scandal.

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