Court Orders Hakeem To Be Freed Today

By Jintamas Saksornchai, Staff Reporter

 

Hakeem Ali Mohamed Ali AlAraibi, shackled at his feet, arrives at a court in Bangkok on Feb. 4, 2018.

 

BANGKOK — The court on Monday allowed an extradition request for a detained refugee footballer to be withdrawn.

 

Prosecutors this afternoon asked to withdraw the extradition of Bahraini national Hakeem AlAraibi and the Criminal Court has approved the request. He is expected to be released later today.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2019/02/11/court-orders-hakeem-to-be-freed-today/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2019-02-11

Excellent news. The whole thing was turning into a nightmare which I am sure the Thais wish they had never got involved with.

That is fantastic news!

 

Not that it will do anything to compensate Mr. Al-Araibi for the anguish and psychological trauma he suffered due to the sub-human treatment he received from the Thai authorities, who shackled him like a hardcore criminal, and the several weeks of detention in a filthy jail cell. 

Wonderful news. About time!

2 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

That is fantastic news!

 

Not that it will do anything to compensate Mr. Al-Araibi for the anguish and psychological trauma he suffered due to the sub-human treatment he received from the Thai authorities, who shackled him like a hardcore criminal, and the several weeks of detention in a filthy jail cell. 

He should have known better than to travel in his situation.

 

Lessons Learnt.

 

Forget his compensation, what about all the others that put money, time and effort into this project because of his stupidity.

 

Caving in to a baying mob, not sure that sets a good precedent?  Can I hope all the internet activists will keep working to ensure the release of all the other hopeless cases in IDC?

That's indeed good news. I hope the rest will follow positive suit....... 

2 minutes ago, VYCM said:

He should have known better than to travel in his situation.

 

Lessons Learnt.

 

Forget his compensation, what about all the others that put money, time and effort into this project because of his stupidity.

 

He checked with authorities three, I repeat, three times before he travelled, and the authorities assured him it was okay.

 

On another note, you must be fun at parties.

who were the authorities, what credentials - out of a corn flakes box.

 

He had no residency, would you have travelled?

3 minutes ago, samran said:

6 minutes ago, VYCM said:

He should have known better than to travel in his situation.

 

Lessons Learnt.

 

Forget his compensation, what about all the others that put money, time and effort into this project because of his stupidity.

 

He checked with authorities three, I repeat, three times before he travelled, and the authorities assured him it was okay.

 

On another note, you must be fun at parties.

who were the authorities, what credentials - out of a corn flakes box.

 

He had no residency, would you have travelled?

 

1 minute ago, VYCM said:

who were the authorities, what credentials - out of a corn flakes box.

 

He had no residency, would you have travelled?

He checked with the AFP.

 

He is an Australian permanent resident, three months off being eligible to apply for citizenship.

 

What is your next question?

5 minutes ago, VYCM said:

He should have known better than to travel in his situation.

 

Lessons Learnt.

 

Forget his compensation, what about all the others that put money, time and effort into this project because of his stupidity.

 

It is amazing the vast difference in opinions of people. One will reason one thing. The other reason the other. Reasoning is no longer a good way to resolve a problem. Money, authority and last of all voilence rule at each and every turn.

I wonder who got what money out of this deal.

8 minutes ago, VYCM said:

He should have known better than to travel in his situation.

 

Lessons Learnt.

 

Forget his compensation, what about all the others that put money, time and effort into this project because of his stupidity.

 

He checked with the Australian authorities and was told he was ok to travel. 

1 minute ago, samran said:

He checked with the AFP.

 

He is an Australian permanent resident, three months off being eligible to apply for citizenship.

 

What is your next question?

That's not what I read, you making things up? - Source

 

Does he at least get a gift basket of chicken essence for his trouble?

 

 

Edited February 11, 20197 yr by Hayduke

9 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Caving in to a baying mob, not sure that sets a good precedent?  Can I hope all the internet activists will keep working to ensure the release of all the other hopeless cases in IDC?

That's it. If the hopeless cases don't get released, no one should, right? 

 

 

10 minutes ago, VYCM said:

He should have known better than to travel in his situation.

 

Lessons Learnt.

 

Forget his compensation, what about all the others that put money, time and effort into this project because of his stupidity.

 

Blame the victim, well done. Suggest you do just a little research on the matter, but don't overload the greymatter. 

7 minutes ago, VYCM said:

who were the authorities, what credentials - out of a corn flakes box.

 

He had no residency, would you have travelled?

Oh! Another expert on the subject.. 

On the flip side, a drastic U-turn from Thailand to indirectly plea and beg for International redeeming (somewhat)...... 

 

Regardless, Hakeem is free, we wish him the best from the bottom of our heart for the sake of soccer 

2 minutes ago, Artisi said:

11 minutes ago, VYCM said:

who were the authorities, what credentials - out of a corn flakes box.

 

He had no residency, would you have travelled?

Oh! Another expert on the subject.. 

I may not be an expert, but I do have common sense.

 

I suppose you would have travelled being in his situation....that tells me a lot.

They have no other option.

Shame on those who subjected him to a barbaric and UNCIVILISED treatment. 

HAPPY NEWS AT LAST.????????

24 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Caving in to a baying mob, not sure that sets a good precedent?  Can I hope all the internet activists will keep working to ensure the release of all the other hopeless cases in IDC?

As you can notice on this forums many do just that NOTHING lol but complain

23 minutes ago, samran said:

He checked with authorities three, I repeat, three times before he travelled, and the authorities assured him it was okay.

 

On another note, you must be fun at parties.

If you are a fugutive, and got yourself a country to give you a "home", then it is rather stupid to flaunt this in the face of the country that you escaped from.

It is even very stupid to leave your new "home".

Thailand to free refugee Bahraini footballer after extradition bid dropped

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat

 

Jailed Bahraini footballer Hakeem Al Araibi leaves Thailand's Criminal Court, in Bangkok, Thailand February 4, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand will free by the end of Monday a refugee Bahraini footballer with residency status in Australia who was arrested more than two months ago, a prosecutor in the case said, after Bahrain abandoned its bid to seek his extradition.

 

Hakeem Al Araibi, 25, who fled Bahrain in 2014 and received refugee status in Australia, was arrested in November at a Bangkok airport while on a honeymoon trip following an Interpol notice issued at Bahrain's request.

 

However, the Middle East nation has withdrawn the request, leading a Thai court to approve a motion by prosecutors to drop the case against the footballer, said Chatchom Akapin, an official in the Thai Attorney-General's office.

 

"The court will now issue an order to release Mr Hakeem from jail today," said Chatchom, the director-general of the office's international affairs department.

 

"There are no grounds to hold him anymore. It is his right to decide where he will go next. He is a free man."

 

It was not immediately clear when Bahrain withdrew its extradition request. Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had no comment on the case.

 

The detention of Araibi, who appeared at a court hearing in shackles last week, drew international criticism, with Australian authorities and fellow footballers urging Thailand to release him. He says he faces torture if returned to Bahrain.

 

"My thanks go to the wonderful people of Thailand for your support and to the Thai government for upholding international law," former Australia soccer captain Craig Foster, who helped lobby officials at world governing body FIFA to intervene on Araibi's behalf, said on social network Twitter after the news.

 

Monday's development follows an appeal, reported by media on Saturday, to the Thai prime minister from two Australian divers who helped save 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave.

 

Araibi has said he wants to return to Australia, where he has lived since 2014 and plays for a Melbourne football club.

 

He was convicted of vandalising a police station during 2011 anti-government protests in Bahrain and sentenced in absentia after he fled. Araibi denies the charges, saying he was playing in a televised soccer match at the time of the attack.

 

New York-based Human Rights Watch has said Araibi was tortured by Bahraini authorities because of his brother's political activities during the 2011 protests.

 

Bahraini authorities deny allegations of torture.

 

(Additional reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Paulina Duran in SYDNEY; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-02-11

3 minutes ago, hansnl said:

If you are a fugutive, and got yourself a country to give you a "home", then it is rather stupid to flaunt this in the face of the country that you escaped from.

It is even very stupid to leave your new "home".

He didn't flaunt anything. The red notice was against Interpol own rules.

 

And, given he is a free man, what is he supposed to not take up the rights that come to the rest of us?

 

Harsh bunch you are.

If you are a fugutive, and got yourself a country to give you a "home", then it is rather stupid to flaunt this in the face of the country that you escaped from.
It is even very stupid to leave your new "home".

Rather difficult for an international sports figure not to travel.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

28 minutes ago, VYCM said:

who were the authorities, what credentials - out of a corn flakes box.

 

He had no residency, would you have travelled?

It's been stated many times in various media articles he has permanent resident status of Australia.

6 minutes ago, hansnl said:

If you are a fugutive, and got yourself a country to give you a "home", then it is rather stupid to flaunt this in the face of the country that you escaped from.

It is even very stupid to leave your new "home".

i'd settle more for 'naive' 

2 minutes ago, tifino said:

i'd settle more for 'naive' 

As already said, he checked 3 times and was told no problem.

 

 

44 minutes ago, VYCM said:

He should have known better than to travel in his situation.

 

Lessons Learnt.

 

Forget his compensation, what about all the others that put money, time and effort into this project because of his stupidity.

 

What "situation"?

 

You mean his "situation" of traveling - as a bonafide resident of Australia just a couple of months short of being granted citizenship - to Thailand with his newlywed bride to spend his honeymoon there?

 

Or his "situation" of visiting Thailand at all, let alone any other travel destination in the world?

 

He was obviously unaware that Bahrain had applied to Interpol to have a Red Notice issued on his person. 

Edited February 11, 20197 yr by Misterwhisper