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Men's Football Thailand claim it cannot free Hakeem al-Araibi until extradition hearing is complete

THAILAND’S government insisted today that it cannot free detained footballer Hakeem al-Araibi who has refugee status in Australia until hearings on Bahrain’s request for his extradition are completed.

Thailand has come under great pressure from Australia’s government, sporting bodies and human rights groups to send Araibi back to Australia. He was arrested last year at a Bangkok airport when he arrived on a honeymoon trip with his wife.

Araibi, a former player on Bahrain’s national team, says he fled Bahrain due to political repression and that he fears torture if he returns. Bahrain want him back to serve a 10-year prison sentence he received in absentia in 2014 for alleged involvement in an arson attack on a police station, a charge he denies.

He contends he was blindfolded and had his legs beaten while he was held in Bahrain previously and believes he was targeted for arrest because of his Shi’ite faith and because his brother was politically active in Bahrain. Bahrain has a Shi’ite majority but is ruled by a Sunni monarchy.

Thai authorities said at a news conference today that after detaining the 25-year-old Araibi on his November arrival in Bangkok, they received a direct request from Bahrain for his extradition, compelling them carry out court hearings.

“From this point on, the case has entered into the Thai judiciary system,” said Trumph Jalichandra, deputy spokesman for the attorney general’s office.

“The government’s position is that it will not interfere. It will take some time before the court makes its decision. We don’t know what that decision will be. Please don’t make an assumption that the court will rule one way or the other. We have to wait and see.”

Araibi will stay in custody until a court begins hearings on April 22 on his extradition case. He informed the court on Monday that he declined to be voluntarily extradited.

The Australian government have urged Thailand to exercise their legal discretion to free Araibi.

Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Tuesday that Araibi was detained on arrival because Australian authorities had forwarded them an Interpol Red Notice that Bahrain was seeking his arrest.

Australian police acknowledge doing so, but there have been questions raised about why the Red Notice appeared to have been issued just before Araibi departed on his trip, and whether Bahraini authorities had been tipped off about his travel plans.

The Foreign Ministry statement appeared to be a defensive response to the almost daily public appeals Thailand have been receiving asking for Araibi’s release.

“Thailand had previously not been aware of Mr Hakeem’s case and does not have any prejudice against him. Indeed, we would not have become involved in the issue had we not received the Red Notice alert from the Australian Interpol and the subsequent formal request by Bahrain for his arrest and extradition,” they said.

Laying out the main argument at today’s news conference, they said that “Thailand does not gain anything from holding Mr Hakeem in custody. But as a sovereign country that has legal obligations and commitments to the international community, Thailand finds itself in the middle of a case involving two countries competing for Mr Hakeem’s custody.”

The statement suggested that Australia and Bahrain talk with each other to work out a mutually acceptable agreement on Araibi’s fate, rather than have a Thai court decide it.

In the latest action in support of Araibi, Australian football authorities cancelled a game in Thailand to protest against his continued detention.

Football Federation Australia announced today they had scrapped the game against China, a scheduled warm-up ahead of next month’s qualifiers for the Asian under-23 championships.

Former Australia national team captain Craig Foster and the Australian and international players’ unions have been leading a campaign for the release Araibi, who plays for a semi-professional club in Australia.

“Australia’s national teams are united in their support for Hakeem Araibi and we call on the community to continue to campaign for his release,” Australia coach Graham Arnold said.

Thai officials have indicated that there could be action taken by the executive branch of government, but only after the extradition case has gone through the courts.

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