Intl. football – 10. feb. 2019 – at. 13:23 Footballer fears for his life: Help me!
The bahraini football player Hakeem al-Araibi is back in Australia after having been imprisoned in Thailand for two and a half month.
Hakeem al-Araibi escaped from Bahrain in 2014, after he according to his own admission, had been subjected to torture, and was granted refugee status in Australia.
According to the authorities in Bahrain, al-Araibi committed crimes during the protests during The Arab Spring in 2011. Among other things, he would have participated in pro-democracy demonstrations. Prosecutor, he refuses.
– Australia is my country. I don’t yet have citizenship, but I love Australia, says Hakeem al-Araibi, after his arrival at the airport in Melbourne on Tuesday morning local time.
This writes the news agency Reuters.
Hakeem al-Araibi was arrested in the thai capital, Bangkok, in late november on the road on the honeymoon with his wife. It happened because the authorities in Bahrain had issued an extradition request on him through the international police, Interpol.
His arrest has aroused a great stir among both human rights organisations and The International Football association, Fifa, and the australian government has put great pressure on Thailand to get him released.
the Former captain of the australian soccer team, Craig Foster have been at the forefront of the campaign for al-Araibis release.
He was also among the hundreds of supporters, who welcomed the young bahrainer at the airport in Melbourne.
– so, Here we have the man. He is probably the most famous young man in Australia at the moment, says Foster.
– How to something here is not possible without the help of a great team. We have received support from people from all over the world, he says, according to news agency AP.
Also the prime minister, Scott Morrison, who twice wrote to his thai colleague in an attempt to ensure al-Araibis release, thank both the australians and the thai authorities.
– We are grateful for the thai government and thank it for its help to get Hakeem back to Australia, he says, according to AP.
Hakeem al-Araibi has now been released from the thai authorities. Photo: Stringer/Ritzau Scanpix
Hakeem al-Araibi has played on the national team in Bahrain and plays semi-professional football in Australia.
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