Bahrain Mirror: Amnesty International said that the decision to release Hakeem Al-Araibi and refusing to extradite him to Bahraini authorities "is an example of the impact of solidarity with refugees, and a victory for people power".

Over 135,000 Amnesty supporters joined the global call to free Hakeem.

Amnesty International's Minar Pimple, Senior Director of Global Operations, said "This was a baseless and cynical extradition request from the Bahraini authorities, who wanted to punish Hakeem for his peaceful political views. Hakeem spent more than two months behind bars in Thailand, when he should not have been detained for a single second. It is only right that he should go back to Australia - where his family, his football club, and the country that gave him sanctuary are waiting."

She added "Today, the Thai government showed a willingness to respect international law and do the right thing by allowing Hakeem to return to safety, rather than be sent to likely torture. The Thai government has also recently pledged to strengthen its refugee protections, a much needed step, as on several occasions in the past it forcibly returned people to countries where their lives and well-being were at serious risk."

Arabic Version