Photo: ReutersA refugee Bahraini footballer with residency status in Australia is flying to Melbourne after Bahrain dropped its bid to have him extradited from Thailand, bringing to an end a case that had drawn international criticism. "He is a free man," Chatchom Akapin, an official in the Thai Attorney-General's office, said on Monday after Bahrain withdrew its extradition request without explanation. Araibi was convicted of vandalising a police station during the 2011 anti-government protests in Bahrain and sentenced in absentia after he fled. New York-based Human Rights Watch has said Araibi was tortured by Bahraini authorities because of his brother's political activities during the 2011 protests. Bahraini authorities deny allegations of torture.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 11, 2019 21:00 UTC