Bahrain closer to extradition of footballer held in Thailand

 

FILE PHOTO: Hakeem Al Araibi, a former member of Bahrain's national soccer team who holds a refugee status in Australia arrives at court after he was arrested last month on arrival at a Bangkok airport based on an Interpol notice issued at Bahrain's request, in Bangkok, Thailand December 11, 2018. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahrain's government has submitted documents for the extradition of Hakeem Al Araibi, a Bahraini refugee footballer held in prison in Thailand, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.

 

Araibi, who has refugee status in Australia and is a vocal critic of Bahrain's government, was convicted of vandalising a police station in 2014. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in absentia and has denied wrongdoing.

 

Araibi was arrested in November in Bangkok, where he had travelled for his honeymoon, on an Interpol notice issued at the Gulf Arab state's request. Under the Thai legal system, Bahrain must submit the documents for his extradition by Feb. 8 or apply for an extension for another 30 days.

 

Thai authorities could not immediately be reached for comment.

 

Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne had urged Thai authorities to release Araibi while rights groups have said he was persecuted for political reasons.

 

Bahraini Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah al-Khalifa said in a statement to Reuters that proceedings to extradite him to Bahrain are ongoing and criticised what he described as "external interference" in Manama's internal affairs.

 

"Those who speak now of Al Araibi having been mistreated and those who question the integrity of Bahrain’s courts ignore the fact that Al Araibi was released on bail of 100 dinars by the courts," the statement added.

 

Bahraini authorities have said Araibi can return to appeal against the sentence, noting that others arrested with Araibi who have done so have been acquitted.

 

The minister said Araibi, who was allowed to travel with the national soccer team while on bail, had fled to Iran from Qatar "never to return".

 

Araibi was granted asylum in Australia, where he now plays, in 2017 after fleeing Bahrain three years earlier.

 

He was a critic of Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa, a member of Bahrain’s ruling family and cousin of the king, when he contested the FIFA presidential election in 2015. Sheikh Salman is president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

 

The AFC said last week that the president had been recused from all matters relating to West Asia and AFC Vice President Praful Patel was working with global governing body FIFA “to find a solution” to the matter of Araibi's detention.

 

Human Rights Watch said Araibi was tortured by Bahraini authorities because of his brother's political activities during the Arab Spring uprising in 2011. Bahraini authorities deny allegations of torture.

 

(Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi, editing by Ed Osmond)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-01-29

Thailand through it's favourite mouth piece Immigration Chief Big Joke recently announced fairer treatment of these cases. So let's see it.

Or are you waiting for a better offer from Bahrain. 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne had urged Thai authorities to release Araibi while rights groups have said he was persecuted for political reasons.

thailand continues to be opaque and shallow internationally, all this muck and muck about thailand's reputation on other lesser issues by people who likely dont have a clue about it and items such as this one make headlines ; just get this guy out, one way or the other

I was hoping for a better outcome he's not a drug dealer or a gangsta

After what happened with that girl from Saudi Arabia, I'd have thought Thailand would have fired this guy off to Australia at the earliest possible moment. The distraction caused by the Saudi girl would have been the perfect cover.
If the guy is a recognized refugee and has been accepted by another country (which it seems was done years ago) - he should have been allowed to return there. Then Bahrain could try to extradite him from Australia if they want him that bad.

Personally I would not trust any court that uses religious law for it's judgments. Especially when any amount of evidence can simply be disqualified or ignored (by the judge and/or prosecutor) and sentencing is based on the whims of the court (or the politicians behind the scenes).

But you also have to wonder at the judgement of this guy. He knows he is wanted back home and it is very possible that he was involved in the crimes he's accused of. If he was truly out of the country at the time (like he claims) - he should have been able to easily prove that.
Unless of course he wasn't out of the country at the time and was actually involved in the protests and is simply fleeing justice by claiming to be a refugee. Wouldn't be the first time someone lied in order to avoid prosecution, would it ?

 

Oh right, he's a "footballer" so that automatically means he must be totally innocent, right ? After all, a "footballer" would never lie - or take a dive or fake an injury or anything like that, right ?

How does a Nation that has outlawed the Death Penalty even consider sending a person to a Nation that does/will impose the Death Penalty?

10 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

How does a Nation that has outlawed the Death Penalty even consider sending a person to a Nation that does/will impose the Death Penalty?

Thailand executed someone last year. They have not outlawed the death penalty.

The middle eastern Muslims continue applying the heat on the Thai Government. Maybe they want to be the masters of SouthEast Asia instead of China?

assuming he's a shia, could be in for a rough ride... 

26 minutes ago, lvr181 said:

The middle eastern Muslims continue applying the heat on the Thai Government. Maybe they want to be the masters of SouthEast Asia instead of China?

Bahrain has a strong monarchy.  Some here are very keen to show solidarity with such people.

More modern and democratic opinions are struggling here now.

He was granted refugee status whilst in Australia he is only protected by that status if he applies to the Australian Government for special travel documents to leave the country for which he is then protected by the Australian Government and all refugees are informed of this requirement because they are not given Australian citizenship and do not have an Australian passport. This man failed to obtain these travel documents from Australia, he left Australia as a Bahraini citizen traveling on a Bahraini passport. So when he left Australia without those travel documents he left the protection of Australia. This is his own doing and now he must face what ever is dealt to him. Bahrain has all the legal rights here in this because he traveled on a Bahraini passport without the protective travel documents from Australia. Thailand will be left with no choice but to hand him to the Bahraini authorities if they a successful with the expedition claim.

Nobody seems to mention the obvious: thousands of Thai expat jobs are at stake. A good test for our Happiness Leader’s moral compass


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