A Thai court ordered the release of a refugee soccer player on Monday after prosecutors said they were no longer seeking his extradition to Bahrain in a case that had drawn worldwide attention.

The Government of Bahrain demanded returning Hakeem Al-Araibi back to prison from Thailand while the Australian authorities return the FIFA player to Australian territory and will grant him citizenship in recognition of his efforts, said former Bahraini member of parliament Ali Al-Aswad.

The refugee Bahraini footballer Haeekm Al-Araibi arrived in Melbourne, Australia, from Bangkok, after about 70 days of arbitrary arrest there based on Bahraini government request.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa received on Monday (February 11, 2019) the Ambassador of Australia to the Kingdom of Bahrain, residing in Riyadh, Ridwaan Jadwat.

A refugee Bahraini footballer who was held in a Thai prison for more than two months at the Gulf state's request arrived in his adoptive home Australia on Tuesday, television pictures showed, to cheers and the great relief of his wife.

Director of the international affairs division of the Thai attorney general's office told reporters that Bahrain no longer wanted to take legal action against Araibi, so his office dropped the case, the Washington Post newspaper reported on Monday (February 11, 2019).

Amnesty International said that the decision to release Hakeem Al-Araibi and refusing to extradite him to Bahraini authorities "is an example of the impact of solidarity with refugees, and a victory for people power".

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne held a joint press conference in which they welcomed the release of footballer and refugee Hakeem Al-Araibi.

Thailand on Monday freed a jailed refugee Bahraini footballer with residency status in Australia, after Bahrain abandoned its bid to seek his extradition, and immigration officials said he was immediately driven to the airport.

Former Australian national soccer team coach Craig Foster expressed on Monday (February 11, 2019) his gratitude to everyone who worked in order to release Bahraini footballer, who is a refugee in Australia, Hakeem Al-Araibi.

Bahrain said it has taken note of a "halt of legal proceedings" against refugee footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi, who was released from a Thai jail on Monday after Bahraini authorities abandoned their bid to seek his extradition.

Thai Public Prosecutor issued on Monday a decision dropping extradition case against Hakeem Al-Araibi who has been in detention since over 70 days.

Refugee footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi will not be sent back to Bahrain after Thailand dropped extradition proceedings against him on the Gulf State's request, a prosecutor said Monday.

A Bahraini footballer with refugee status in Australia, Hakeem Al Araibi, left a Thai jail on Monday after authorities dropped a controversial extradition case against him.

The Bahraini Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa received a telephone call from his Thai counterpart, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, on Sunday (February 10, 2019).

“Broken from inside” — this is a common feeling that all Bahrainis like Hakeem suffer from. Al-Araibi has endured this until 2014. “In Bahrain there are no human rights and no safety for people like me".

AFC President Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa told Bahraini Interior Minister Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa that his status in the world would not be affected by the extradition of Hakeem Al-Araibi to Bahrain, confirmed two sources working in the Bahraini sports field.

The Australian captain Craig Foster criticized FIFA's response on Hakeem Al-Araibi case.

Two Australian divers who helped save 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave have written to the Thai prime minister to ask for the release of a Bahraini footballer with refugee status in Australia, media reported on Saturday.

Within hours, #SaveHakeem became the most trending hashtag on social media outlets, now nearing one million tweets. Another hashtag has been widely spread calling for boycotting travel to Thailand #BoycottThailand in protest.