Sanction Bahrain and Thailand over jailed refugee footballer, say Australian footballers

A football trade union has urged the International Olympic Committee and FIFA to impose sanctions on Thailand and Bahrain over the detention of refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

04 February, 2019

Rights groups say Hakeem al-Araibi faces torture and detention in Bahrain [AFP]

Australia's football players' union has called on the International Olympic Committee (ICC) and football's governing body to consider sporting sanctions against Thailand and Bahrain following the continued detention of refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi in Bangkok.

Professional Footballers Australia chief executive John Didulica in a statement called the detention "a flagrant breach of (al-Araibi's) internationally accepted human rights as an Australian permanent resident and refugee."

Al-Araibi has been held in Thailand since November because Bahrain has asked for his return to serve a prison sentence for a crime he denies committing. He has refugee status in Australia, where he lives and plays for a semi-professional team, and was travelling on vacation.

Al-Araibi pleaded with Thai authorities on Monday, saying "please don't send me to Bahrain" after arriving in shackles to a Bangkok court.

The court set an April 22 date for a next hearing after Al-Araibi refused to be voluntarily extradited to Bahrain.

Didulica says it has only been pressure from the international soccer community that has prevented al-Araibi's extradition to Bahrain already.


	Hakeem al-Araibi will have his next court hearing on April 22 [AFP]

FIFA's head of sustainability and diversity, Federico Addiechi - who was present for the hearing - told reporters FIFA has had numerous exchanges on the "formal and informal level" with Bahrain, Thailand, Australia and the Asian Football Confederation.

"We want to show our support to him... to ensure the right thing happens and (Hakeem) goes back to Australia as soon as possible," Addiechi said.

Al-Araibi is wanted by Bahrain for allegedly vandalising a police station during anti-government protests. He says he was out of the country playing in a match at the time of the alleged offence.

The player has said he believes he is being targeted over his criticism of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, a member of Bahrain's ruling family.

Amnesty International has said al-Araibi will be imprisoned and tortured if Thailand returns him to Bahrain, launching a petition campaign that has garnered over 50,000 signatures.