Jakarta: Hakeem al-Araibi, the Australian footballer and refugee facing extradition back to his birth country of Bahrain, will appear in court on Monday nearly two months after he was first detained by Thai authorities.
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Araibi's lawyer, Nadthasiri Bergman, told the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that Thai prosecutors on Friday tabled the official extradition on behalf of Bahrain and he will appear before the criminal court in Bangkok.
Araibi will be asked during what is expected to be a brief, closed appearance, if he is willing to be extradited to Bahrain - he will indicate that he does not wish to be - and his lawyer will receive a copy of the extradition request, which was submitted to Thai authorities earlier this week.
Araibi's legal team is expected to have up to 60 days to prepare their defence of the footballer ahead of a subsequent court appearance.
Thailand's Attorney-General's office has now determined that the request is in line with the country's extradition law, said Chatchom Akapin, director of the office's international affairs department.
"This case is not political but a criminal one," Chatchom told Reuters.
"Bahrain has evidence of Hakeem's criminal wrongdoing and if he doesn't want to return to that country then he must contest that in the court and it will take months," he said.
The footballer escaped Bahrain and fled to Australia nearly five years ago. He has been granted official refugee status by Australia and plays soccer for the Pascoe Vale Football Club in Melbourne.
His case has become increasingly high-profile, with rallies in support of Araibi held in Australia and other global cities on Friday.
Araibi says he was tortured by Bahraini authorities after being arrested in 2012 and convicted on trumped up charges of vandalising a police station. He fears being tortured, or even killed, if he is returned to Bahrain.
On the day alleged act of vandalism occurred, Araibi was playing soccer for his then team in a game that was broadcast live on national television and which finished about 25 minutes before the vandalism took place.
He and his wife had travelled to Thailand for a one week honeymoon but Araibi was detained by Thai authorities on November 27 on arrival. Australian authorities controversially had informed their Thai counterparts he was travelling to Thailand and was subject to an Interpol Red Notice.
Araibi should not have been subject to that alert, a form of international arrest warrant, as it was issued by Bahrain. Refugees are not supposed to be subject to notices issued by the country they fled.
The notice was later dropped, but Bahrain subsequently indicated they wished to extradite Araibi and he has been held in the Bangkok remand prison since.
Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network program coordinator Evan Jones, who regularly visits Araibi in jail, said it was a "terrible decision by Thailand to even entertain Bahrain's request and to have it go through court processes".
"He is a recognised refugee in Australia who has already endured a three year process to have that status validated in Australia. The fact he is now being held in prison with the threat of a return to Bahrain hanging over him is a sad indictment of Thailand and its approach to refugees," he said.
In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on Tuesday, Ariabi pleaded with Australian authorities not to give up on him and to keep lobbying on his behalf.
He also spoke movingly about his hope of starting a family, his desire for freedom, how he misses his adopted city of Melbourne and his fear he will be tortured if the Thai government allows him to be extradited to Bahrain.
"Please Australia, keep fighting for me. I pay taxes, I play football, I love Australia. Please don’t let them send me back to Bahrain," he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has personally lobbied Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, over Araibi's case.
-- with Reuters
