Hakeem al-Araibi is due to be released by Thailand after Bahrain withdrew its extradition request.<\/p>\n

The Bahraini citizen fled to Australia in 2014 and was granted political asylum; however, he was detained in Bangkok in November on an Interpol notice requested by Bahrain after travelling to the Thai capital on honeymoon.<\/p>\n

Al-Araibi was sentenced in absentia to ten years for vandalising a police station but the 25-year-old denies the charges because he was playing in a televised football match. Human rights activists claim he could face torture if sent back to Bahrain due his history as a vocal critic of Bahraini authorities.<\/p>\n

A number of high-profile footballers, including Didier Drogba and Jamie Vardy, have called for his release while the Australian government, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee all lobbied Thailand.<\/p>\n

However, according to BBC Thai<\/a>, Thailand’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG) asked the court to end the case against Al-Araibi after more than 70 days of detention because Bahrain no no longer want him.<\/p>\n

“This morning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed us that Bahrain was no longer interested in this request,” OAG foreign office chief Chatchom Akapin said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Craig Foster, the former Australian football captain who played an instrumental role in the campaign to free al-Araibi, said<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cI am sure that embassy staff will take care of him. There\u2019ll be tears there tonight, as there are in our household right now,\u201d he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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