I write to expresses my serious concern for the welfare of Mr Hakeem al-Araibi, an Australian resident and professional footballer, who has been detained in Thailand pending possible extradition to Bahrain and call for his immediate release and return to Australia.

 This course of action taken by the Thai and Bahrain governments contravenes international human rights law and places Mr al-Araibi, a recognised refugee and torture survivor, at grave risk of imprisonment and torture if forcibly extradited.  According to the Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, (GIDHR) there are currently over 4,000 prisoners of conscience in Bahrain. 11 citizens died as a result of torture in Bahrain’s prisons in 2017.

 I fully support actions to secure safety of Mr al-Araibi by Mr Craig Foster, former Socceroos captain and member of Australian Multicultural Council who visited Mr al-Araibi in prison and recently met with FIFA in Zurich to present more than 50,000 petition signatures calling for Mr al-Araibi release.

I urge the Australian government and civic society to use all the leverage at their disposal to assist in Hakeem’s immediate release, so that he can be safely reunited with his wife and rebuild the new life the Australian government has granted him in Australia.