By the book: Detention of Bahraini footballer defended

[webfact]

By the book: Detention of Bahraini footballer defended

By The Nation

 

The Foreign Ministry has insisted that a Bahraini footballer detained by immigration police will have to stand trial as part of a process determining whether he will be extradited back to Bahrain.
 

In its statement defending the detention of Hakeem Ali Mohamed Ali Al-Araibi, the ministry said he was arrested by Suvarnabhumi Immigration officers on arrival from Australia on November 27 in accordance with the Immigration Act 1979.

 

It said the detention was in response to a “red notice” from Interpol’s Australian office based on a formal request from the Bahraini government.

 

Al-Araibi is a fugitive convicted of criminal offences under Bahraini law.

 

The Immigration Bureau said he had been remanded for 12 days from December 3 to give authorities time to examine documents submitted by Bahrain.

 

The 25-year-old footballer was granted refugee status in Australia in 2017 and has spoken out about being arrested and beaten at the start of Arab Spring-style protests in the gulf state in 2012.

 

He was convicted in absentia on charges of vandalising a police station, but he claims he was playing a match overseas at the time of the alleged offence.

 

The Foreign Ministry said the Attorney General could within 60 days of his arrest apply to the court for his extradition.

 

“Once the case is under its purview, the court shall proceed with its stipulated procedure, including thoroughly examining the extradition request as well as all related evidence and testimonies provided by the parties concerned,” the ministry said.

 

“Mr Hakeem has the right to provide the Court with his views, concerns and evidence.”

 

If the primary court rules to have him extradited, the footballer would also have the right to take the matter to the Court of Appeals.

 

“If an appeal petition is made, the extradition litigation process will be final only after the Court of Appeals has issued its ruling,” the ministry added.

 

The Bahrain Embassy submitted documents to the ministry on December 3. They were forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General as per procedure in the Extradition Act 2008.

 

Al-Araibi is currently at the Immigration Detention Centre in Suan Plu, Bangkok. He has been informed of the provisional arrest warrant and will be transferred to Bangkok Remand Prison.

 

Al-Araibi told Agence France-Presse he believed Bahrain was “very angry” with him for giving press interviews in 2016 about his treatment in custody.

 

“I’m not feeling well because I don’t know what’s going on,” he told the news agency on Tuesday, adding that he feared being killed if sent back to Bahrain.

 

He believes he was also targeted because he is Shiite and because of his brother’s political activism.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30360071

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-10

[simple1]

Sounds like the Australian authorities don't know what they are doing. Al-Araibi has been granted refugee status in Oz and now appealing to Thai government to release him and return to Oz, whereas Interpol in Australia had issued a Red Notice. It is well known Bahraini government practices torture / murder of dissidents. Thai government should release the guy and return him to Oz, otherwise they will be complicit with human rights abuses by Bahrain.

 

[Oziex1]

Australia has requested he be allowed to return, Bahrain on the other hand is probably filling some brown envelopes.

Let's see how much Australia cares about this guy.

[Cadbury]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

It said the detention was in response to a “red notice” from Interpol’s Australian office based on a formal request from the Bahraini government

But the Australian government claims the "red notice" was withdrawn by Interpol. If that was the case then Thailand has no right to withhold him.

The weird and bizarre workings of the Thai justice system is plain for all to see. They release from jail an Australian thug convicted of murder and yet they imprison an Australian man (refugee status) without authority who is fleeing persecution and possible torture from his home country for playing a game of soccer overseas. 

Military governments such as Thailand have no concern for humanitarian matters. Shame on the junta; it is an international embarrassment to it's people.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-09/hakeem-ali-alaraibi-must-be-released-australian-government-says/10598464

 

 

[meinphuket]

Arrested on Interpol's Australia red notice. When Thailand doesn't go by the book, righteous countries like Australia immediately demand that Thailand does. When Thailand goes by the book and follows procedure Australia demands otherwise. Just send this scoundrel troublemaker back to Bahrain asap.

[overherebc]

I'm confused.

Australia grant refugee status and then the interpol office in Australia issue a red notice on the guy when asked by Bahrain.

Sounds like a lot, not a bit, of mis-comm's somewhere.

[Kerryd]

If they didn't have "footballer" in the headline none of you would give a crap about this story at all.

He is NOT "Australian" for starters. He is a citizen of Bahrain.
 
It appears he may have been a part of an organized uprising against the Bahrain government during the orchestrated Arab Spring uprisings that happened in many Muslim countries. In most of those countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, the protests were put down, harshly, and without a whisper from the "West" about the tactics used.
(Saudi Arabia actually sent troops into Bahrain to quell the uprising there but apparently it's OK because they are the "good guys" whereas places like Libya and Syria, who aren't allies of the "West", got bombarded for doing the same thing.)

If this guy was truly overseas playing a match at the time as he claims, it should take all of 2 minutes to verify (by Thailand, Australia and/or Bahrain). If it's true (that he wasn't in the country at the time) - send him to Australia.

If it turns out he's full of ****, send him back to face the charges he is probably guilty of. (I'd say that Bahrain probably didn't just pick his name out of a hat and decide to charge him for no reason.)

NO different than if a group of "rebels" attempted a violent overthrow of the government in YOUR home country. You'd be pissed if some of them were able to flee to another country and claim to be "refugees" in order to escape justice as well.

Just like all the Syrian terrorists and "rebels" will do when they finally realize they are screwed. Just like all the ISIS fighters have been doing for months (including all the terrorists from Al Qaeda, al-Nusra and other terrorist groups that made up the bulk of the fighters for the Syrian "rebels" and ISIS in the beginning of that conflict).
When the going gets tough, drop the weapon and whip out the passport that gives you the best chance of avoiding prosecution, or flee to a "friendly" country and claim to be a refugee.
At least until you can reorganize and try again somewhere else that is.

 

[DeaconJohn]

He was lucky to get refugee status in Australia in the first place.

Why did he leave?

Now he's in a hole that he dug himself.

[Langsuan Man]

7 minutes ago, DeaconJohn said:

Why did he leave?

According to the first reports he was told by the Thai Consulate in Melbourne that he could travel to Thailand and return to OZ without any problems......

 

I just love how the Thais are hell bent to honor Interpol's Red Notices but could care less if anyone acts on their Red Notices, like maybe with the Red Bull heir 

 

And for those who care,  Bahrain is a tiny island kingdom that is linked to Saudi via a long causeway and it's raison d'être is for the Saudi's to have a place close by where they can drink and whore all they wan't but still be in a Muslim country 

[300sd]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

By the book: Detention of Bahraini footballer defended

"By the book".....when it suits you!

[FritsSikkink]

5 hours ago, simple1 said:

Sounds like the Australian authorities don't know what they are doing. Al-Araibi has been granted refugee status in Oz and now appealing to Thai government to release him and return to Oz, whereas Interpol in Australia had issued a Red Notice. It is well known Bahraini government practices torture / murder of dissidents. Thai government should release the guy and return him to Oz, otherwise they will be complicit with human rights abuses by Bahrain.

 

Ok, let the Canadians release the Chinese woman then and let her return to her country.

[simple1]

32 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Ok, let the Canadians release the Chinese woman then and let her return to her country.

No equivalence whatsoever

[DeaconJohn]

2 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

According to the first reports he was told by the Thai Consulate in Melbourne that he could travel to Thailand and return to OZ without any problems......

 

I just love how the Thais are hell bent to honor Interpol's Red Notices but could care less if anyone acts on their Red Notices, like maybe with the Red Bull heir 

 

And for those who care,  Bahrain is a tiny island kingdom that is linked to Saudi via a long causeway and it's raison d'être is for the Saudi's to have a place close by where they can drink and whore all they wan't but still be in a Muslim country 

Thanks for pointing that out.

But I would question the veracity of any reports that said a Thai Consulate told him that he could travel to Thailand and return to Australia without any problems.

Bahrain, Australia, and Interpol are the main players in this game. Thailand is now caught in the middle.

[Russell17au]

He has left himself open for this when he left Australia to go traveling around. He is a Bahraini citizen traveling on a Bahraini passport. He may have been granted refugee status by Australia but that is only good if he stayed in Australia, but once he left the country on his home countries passport then that refugee status means nothing because he has left the sanctuary of the country that gave him refugee status. He needed to stay in Australia for 5 years and then apply for Australian citizenship and get an Australian passport before he left Australia to go traveling around. Refugee status only gives you the protection of the country that you apply in while you remain in that country.

[Russell17au]

3 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

According to the first reports he was told by the Thai Consulate in Melbourne that he could travel to Thailand and return to OZ without any problems......

 

I just love how the Thais are hell bent to honor Interpol's Red Notices but could care less if anyone acts on their Red Notices, like maybe with the Red Bull heir 

 

And for those who care,  Bahrain is a tiny island kingdom that is linked to Saudi via a long causeway and it's raison d'être is for the Saudi's to have a place close by where they can drink and whore all they wan't but still be in a Muslim country 

I would say that the Thai Consulate in Melbourne would not know anything about the Interpol Red Notice so as far as the Thai Consulate is concerned he had no problem traveling to Thailand and back to Australia. I bet he did not tell the Thai Consulate that he was a refugee in Australia

[Russell17au]

5 hours ago, overherebc said:

I'm confused.

Australia grant refugee status and then the interpol office in Australia issue a red notice on the guy when asked by Bahrain.

Sounds like a lot, not a bit, of mis-comm's somewhere.

Australian branch of Interpol does not make the decisions, Bahrain would apply to the head office of Interpol and they would issue the Red Notice to every Interpol office in the world not just Australia. Refugee status is only good if you stay in the country that grants you that status until you can become a citizen of that country and then apply for that countries passport, if you leave that country before you are granted citizenship then you are still a citizen of your home country and are therefore subject to anything that your country issues against you.

[simple1]

8 hours ago, Kerryd said:

If they didn't have "footballer" in the headline none of you would give a crap about this story at all.

He is NOT "Australian" for starters. He is a citizen of Bahrain.
 
It appears he may have been a part of an organized uprising against the Bahrain government during the orchestrated Arab Spring uprisings that happened in many Muslim countries. In most of those countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, the protests were put down, harshly, and without a whisper from the "West" about the tactics used.
(Saudi Arabia actually sent troops into Bahrain to quell the uprising there but apparently it's OK because they are the "good guys" whereas places like Libya and Syria, who aren't allies of the "West", got bombarded for doing the same thing.)

If this guy was truly overseas playing a match at the time as he claims, it should take all of 2 minutes to verify (by Thailand, Australia and/or Bahrain). If it's true (that he wasn't in the country at the time) - send him to Australia.

If it turns out he's full of ****, send him back to face the charges he is probably guilty of. (I'd say that Bahrain probably didn't just pick his name out of a hat and decide to charge him for no reason.)

NO different than if a group of "rebels" attempted a violent overthrow of the government in YOUR home country. You'd be pissed if some of them were able to flee to another country and claim to be "refugees" in order to escape justice as well.

Just like all the Syrian terrorists and "rebels" will do when they finally realize they are screwed. Just like all the ISIS fighters have been doing for months (including all the terrorists from Al Qaeda, al-Nusra and other terrorist groups that made up the bulk of the fighters for the Syrian "rebels" and ISIS in the beginning of that conflict).
When the going gets tough, drop the weapon and whip out the passport that gives you the best chance of avoiding prosecution, or flee to a "friendly" country and claim to be a refugee.
At least until you can reorganize and try again somewhere else that is.

 

Personally makes no difference what his professional occupation is, As you would know Australia has extremely onerous vetting processes before granting refugee status. He now has Permanent Residency. He had travelled to Thailand with his wife for a holiday. As a reminder Oz government policy is not to return a person to a country where they face a very real possibility of torture / death. One hopes the Thai government does permit his return to Oz, rather than sending him back to the known brutality of a minority Sunni dictatorship.

[Russell17au]

27 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Personally makes no difference what his professional occupation is, As you would know Australia has extremely onerous vetting processes before granting refugee status. He now has Permanent Residency. He had travelled to Thailand with his wife for a holiday. As a reminder Oz government policy is not to return a person to a country where they face a very real possibility of torture / death. One hopes the Thai government does permit his return to Oz, rather than sending him back to the known brutality of a minority Sunni dictatorship.

You are correct that his profession has nothing to do with any of this. He has created the problem for himself by leaving the sanctuary of Australia and traveling as a Bahraini citizen on a Bahraini passport which has opened him up to all this legal fighting as he does not have refugee status in Thailand, Thailand can only treat him as a Bahraini citizen traveling on a Bahraini passport and nothing else. Bahrain have every right to make application for him to be returned to Bahrain, he left Australia on his own free will. His mistake was that he did not remain in Australia until he could get Australian citizenship, permanent residency only means that you can live in Australia and that is all, it does not mean that you have the same protection as an Australian citizen if you chose to leave Australia for an overseas holiday.

[simple1]

10 hours ago, Russell17au said:

You are correct that his profession has nothing to do with any of this. He has created the problem for himself by leaving the sanctuary of Australia and traveling as a Bahraini citizen on a Bahraini passport which has opened him up to all this legal fighting as he does not have refugee status in Thailand, Thailand can only treat him as a Bahraini citizen traveling on a Bahraini passport and nothing else. Bahrain have every right to make application for him to be returned to Bahrain, he left Australia on his own free will. His mistake was that he did not remain in Australia until he could get Australian citizenship, permanent residency only means that you can live in Australia and that is all, it does not mean that you have the same protection as an Australian citizen if you chose to leave Australia for an overseas holiday.

We do not know what type of Humanitarian Visa the individual has. If he has a Protection Visa he is permitted to travel outside of Australia will the full support of the Australian government. As has been mentioned comes across as a bureaucratic stuff up, have to wait and see if the Thai Courts honour the protection provided by Oz or deportation to Bahrain where it is highly likely he will be subjected to abuse by a Sunni dictatorship.

[Langsuan Man]

18 hours ago, Russell17au said:

I bet he did not tell the Thai Consulate that he was a refugee in Australia

Unfortunately all the news stories omit what type of visa or if any visa was issued to him by the Thai Consulate in Melbourne.  If he was issued a Visa then why did no one at the Thai Consulate notice his stamps in his passport ?

 

Sorry,  but having dealt with Thai Embassies and Consulates a major fail by Melbourne Consulate is not all that far fetched

 

And if your were a political refugee in a country who, other than the country you want to travel to, do you ask for advice ?     

 

[Russell17au]

9 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

Unfortunately all the news stories omit what type of visa or if any visa was issued to him by the Thai Consulate in Melbourne.  If he was issued a Visa then why did no one at the Thai Consulate notice his stamps in his passport ?

 

Sorry,  but having dealt with Thai Embassies and Consulates a major fail by Melbourne Consulate is not all that far fetched

 

And if your were a political refugee in a country who, other than the country you want to travel to, do you ask for advice ?     

 

You are not the only one who has dealt with Thai Embassies and Consulates, especially the Melbourne one.

It is not up to the Thai Embassy or Consulate to go through your passport to see what stamps you have in it, they are only there to process your application for a visa and place that visa in your passport and even that does not guarantee that you will be allowed into the country. So it is not a failure of the Thai Consulate in Melbourne.

A Protection Visa issued by the Australian Immigration is ONLY enforceable in Australia and NOT overseas the same as any other visa, and any visa that is issued by any other country they can only be enforced in the issuing country. If he wanted to travel overseas then he needed to get a “Convention Travel Document” which is a document specifically for refugees from the Passport office of the Australian Government and then that would have given him the same protection as an Australian Passport holder but it is clear that he did not do that and he traveled as a Bahraini citizen on a Bahraini passport. The only reason the RED Flag came up was because he only used his Bahraini passport for his travel.

Stop trying to throw the blame onto any one else, It is not the Thai Consulate, Thai Immigration, Australian Immigration, Australian government that has caused this problem, it is this man and this man only because he could have gone to Australian Immigration or any of the many refugee organizations and they would have given him the right information but he did not do that. Now because he has traveled without the correct paperwork that would have protected him he can have his Protection Visa" cancelled which means he will not be able to return to Australia so therefore the only place he can be sent is to the country that issued his passport "Bahrain"