Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): The Thai authorities have chosen to show indifference to criticism over their detention of Bahraini refugee player in Australia Hakeem Al-Araibi and that they prefer favoring the ruling family in Bahrain, which has joint investments with Thai leaders.

As a large number of international media delegates and world news agency delegates gathered, the Thai police presented a disgusting spectacle of detainees held in their jails, bringing them in prison uniforms, with their feet shackled, and a large number of them with shaven heads.

The detainees passed in a successive queue. However, Hakeem Al-Araibi was delayed. He was taken out of the bus barefoot and surrounded by security men, pushing him forward so that he would not stop and comfortably speak with the press.

Former United States ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power described via her Twitter account the barefoot cuffing of football player Hakeem Al-Araibi as "outrageous".

Others expressed how the photo of Al-Araibi affected them, and others by the call Al-Araibi sent via the media, "Please don't send me back to Bahrain."

He is a football player, a refugee for years, completely peaceful, and has legal asylum in Australia. Al-Araibi enjoys universal sympathy from both the football and human rights communities, yet is treated as a serious criminal, with his feet which he uses to play football cuffed, and moved amid high security. It is a picture that is neither optimistic nor admirable in Thailand.

Hakeem Al-Araibi sent his message to the media as he crossed the gate quickly "Please don't send me back to Bahrain." Former Australian captain Craig Foster answered him "Hakeem, all Australia and Australians are with you, stay strong."

Al-Araibi denied in front of the judge the charges brought against him by the Bahraini authorities. The judge also gave Al-Araibi's lawyer a chance to enter his defense plea and set April 22 as the date for the next court hearing. The judge also rejected to release Al-Araibi on bail and decided to keep him in jail for one additional month, although he has been detained in Thailand for about 70 days. Another not so admirable decision.

A simple Google search will show you, through Amnesty International, to what extent Thailand cares about its rights file, the fact that makes concern over Al-Araibi even greater, since he fell into the grip of a country that does not care at the minimum.

Hakeem Al-Araibi now does not have the luxury of falling in despair, there is a wife waiting for him alone in Australia, and his family is concerned in Bahrain. He only has the option to pass this period, to return to the country which granted him asylum and opened its stadiums for him, giving him a new opportunity he will never get in Bahrain, a country that insists on imprisoning him for 10 years.

Thailand is well aware that its image as a peaceful tourist country will be affected more every day as the photo of leg-cuffed Hakeem Al-Araibi is circulated    

Arabic Version