A Thai court has ordered the release of detained refugee footballer, Hakeem Al-Araibi after prosecutors said they were no longer seeking his extradition to Bahrain.
Al-
His dentition had drawn international criticism both from the footballing world and the political sphere, with Australian authorities and prominent footballers at the forefront of calls for his release.
Bahrain wanted its former national team player to serve a ten-year prison sentence handed down in absentia for allegedly vandalizing a police station but withdrew its extradition request following pressure from the international community.
Al-Araibi has always maintained his innocence of the charge, having fled Bahrain for Australia in 2014, where he was granted political asylum in 2017.
photo credit: sky sports