Don’t drag on Araibi case

The government should reconsider the continued detention of the refugee Hakeem al-Araibi, known as the refugee football player. He is being held without bail at Bangkok Remand Prison as a flight risk, while authorities from Bahrain attempt to extradite him. There is little compelling evidence to send him to a dangerous and possibly violent fate in that country. On the other hand, there are strong reasons to free him to return to Australia, where he has lived for four years in asylum while working towards citizenship. Araibi was detained on Nov 27 by the Immigration Bureau (IB) as he and his wife arrived from Melbourne for holidays. He was the victim of what turned out to be an illegal Interpol Red Notice. Bahrain had convinced Interpol to issue the Red Notice. But it escaped both Interpol and Australian Federal Police scrutiny that it broke Interpol policy and international law that forbids Red Notices in cases once the targets have been given official refugee status. Red Notice officially withdrawn, the IB still held onto Araibi. By then, officials of the Bahrain Embassy had filed an official request with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to extradite the Victoria state footballer. Luckily, Araibi was able to obtain solid legal advice to channel Bahrain’s very shaky request to the Criminal Court, where proceedings are under way. The court can allow or deny the government’s attempt to extradite, but the actual decision is up to the government. The prime minister can decide this case on his own, at a pen stroke. Bahrain’s legal charge against Araibi is vandalism — and it is quite possible that even this charge is bogus. Bahrain’s officials allege he took part in an attack on a police station during the Arab Spring uprising, where Araibi’s brother was militantly against the Bahraini government. Video proof exists that Araibi and the national team were playing football at the time of the station attack. So even the rather minor case for extradition is quite heavily tilted against Bahrain. The real reason for the extradition demand is almost certainly political. Araibi was arrested during the Arab Spring, and he has stated credibly and in detail how he was allegedly tortured by Bahraini secret police. He escaped and wound up in Australia, where he deserved and was given status as a legal resident-refugee. Of course, flying to Thailand for vacation was a huge, personal error. Araibi claims he was assured by a staff member of the Thai consulate in Melbourne that he would be safe. Even if this is true, no such guarantee could hold water, anywhere in the world. Worth mentioning is the shameful treatment of the case by the Asian Football Confederation and the Football Association of Thailand. Fifa rules demand outspoken support for all footballers in Araibi’s situation. But Asian football is controlled by the Bahraini royal, Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa. He and Araibi have a personal history that the AFC chief has parleyed into rule-breaking silence by all national football clubs in Asia. This alone is vital evidence that Bahrain’s case is more personal than criminal. The Minister of Tourism and Sports in particular, the PM’s Office in general, should be moving to free this Bahraini detainee back to Australia.

There is little compelling evidence to send him to a dangerous and possibly violent fate in that country.