A Thai news site aired clips from the trial hearing of Bahraini footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi in Bangkok, which took place amid presence of diplomatic and football figures, followed by a major media campaign on social networking sites.

A number of rallies were held in Australia’s Sydney and Melbourne on Friday (February 1, 2019), in solidarity with Bahraini footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi and all Bahraini prisoners of conscience.

The case of Bahraini football player Hakeem Al-Araibi, who is held in Thailand, caused the Government of Bahrain a severe headache.

30 MEPs sent an urgent letter to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in particular Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai, in which they expressed their deep concern regarding the arrest of Bahraini player and urged the Thai authorities to release Hakeem Al-Araibia and ensure he returns safe to Australia.

The former Bahrain football player Hakeem Al-Araibi is still being held in a Thai prison, pending a final court decision on his extradition to Manama, although he had entered Thailand as a refugee in Australia.

An Australian website said that the wife of detained footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi has sent an emotional appeal to Thailand's Prime Minister urging him to help return her husbandd to his house in Australia.

The Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (GIDHR) issued a statement saying that Hakeem Al-Araibi is one step away from being handed over to Bahrain which he fled.

Australian football player and analyst Craig Foster called to find a solution for Hakeem Al-Araibi case before the end of the week.

Bahrain's government has submitted documents for the extradition of Hakeem Al Araibi, a Bahraini refugee footballer held in prison in Thailand, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Activists have called for Asia's football chief, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, to resign after the body admitted for the first time that the Bahraini royal family member has a "conflict of interest" in regard to his jailed compatriot, Hakeem Al-Araibi, South China Morning Post newspaper reported.

A leading Thai football club has joined the growing international chorus to free refugee player Hakeem Al-Araibi, who faces deportation to Bahrain where he fears for his life.

Former Australia soccer captain Craig Foster will lobby officials at world governing body FIFA later on Monday for them to intervene on behalf of a Bahraini refugee player being detained in Thailand and facing deportation to his country.

Australian football player and analyst Craig Foster said that he demanded a meeting with FIFA administration on Monday.

FIFA sent on Wednesday (January 23, 2019) a letter to Prayut Chan-o-cha, the prime minister of Thailand, urging him to immediately release the Bahraini footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi, and demanding discussing Al-Araibi's case with representative from the Thai government.

A former Australian soccer player campaigning to free a Bahraini refugee athlete detained in Thailand wants FIFA, the sport's governing body, to sanction the soccer associations of Thailand and Bahrain if they fail to help.

Greens and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) say parliament should investigate Australian Federal Police's role in the detention of Bahraini refugee in Thailand, The Guardian newspaper reported.

Australian football player and analyst Craig Foster continues his tour in Thailand in support of Hakeem Al-Araibi's case.

The Australian SBS website stated that former Socceroo and SBS's chief football analyst Craig Foster visited Hakeem Al-Araibi in Bangkok Remand Prison earlier today.

Thailand's immigration chief has pledged a reversal of the country's notoriously harsh treatment of refugees following the global furore around a young Saudi woman's attempt to seek asylum, the Guardian newspaper reported.

Diplomat Nigel Gould-Daviesþ, fellow at Chatham House, posted a tweet in which he pointed out to statement of head of Thai immigration, Surachate Hakparn, after Rahaf Al-Qunun left Saudi Arabia to Canada, in which he said that Thailand will follow international norms on deportations.