Back to the Soccer Newsfeed

Thailand Free Refugee Footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi After Extradition Withdrawal

Thailand has released refugee footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi from detention after his native Bahrain withdrew a request to extradite him.

Per BBC News, Thailand freed Al-Araibi on Monday having held him in Bangkok since November, when he arrived in the country for his honeymoon.

Chatchom Akapin, the foreign office chief for Thailand's Office of the Attorney General, said: "This morning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed us that Bahrain was no longer interested in this request."

Authorities arrested the 25-year-old based on an Interpol red notice, which was requested by Bahrain and later overturned because it breached the organisation's own rules.