Thai Court Orders Release Of Bahrain Refugee Soccer Player

Thai Court Orders Release Of Bahrain Refugee Soccer Player
Refugee soccer player Bahraini Hakeem al-Araibi leaves the criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, on Feb. 4, 2019. Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo
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BANGKOK—A Thai court ordered the release of a refugee soccer player on Feb. 11, after prosecutors said they were no longer seeking his extradition to Bahrain in a case that had drawn worldwide attention.

Thailand had come under great pressure from Australia’s government, sporting bodies and human rights groups to send Hakeem al-Araibi back to Australia, where he has refugee status and plays semi-professional soccer.