Asia's football chief announced his bid for a third term in office on Wednesday, days after backing FIFA boss Gianni Infantino for a fresh mandate.Salman, who has led the Asian Football Confederation since 2013, said he would stand for a new term at the AFC Congress in his home country of Bahrain next February.

FIFA, football's world governing body, has fined Bahrain's football federation 20,000 Swiss francs after its fans disrespected the Iranian national anthem before a World Cup qualifying game last month.

Human Rights Watch published on its website an article to Minky Worden, Director of Global Initiatives, in which she criticized holding Formula One race in Bahrain amid ignorance of blatant human rights violations in Bahrain, which some of them are related to the same sport.

Football player Hakeem Al-Araibi condemned Australia's support for the re-election of Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended on Friday (February 16, 2019) the world soccer’s governing body over its perceived lack of action in the case of refugee Bahraini footballer Hakeem Al Araibi, saying it had been “working behind the scenes in the affair.”

For the last eight years, the Bahraini authorities have carried out an unrelenting campaign of repression against demonstrators, opposition leaders, peaceful critics, and human rights defenders, said Aya Majzoub in a report on the eighth anniversary of the Bahraini Uprising.

Australia’s meaning to Bahrainis has changed forever, and of course in the heart of Hakeem Al-Araibi, who said upon his return "I will be strong for Australia. I love Australia. It is my country".

The Agence France-Presse (AFP) said that ex-Socceroos captain Craig Foster, who was capped 29 times for his country, believes the fight to free Hakeem Al-Araibi was the most important battle of his life.

The Australian New Daily newspaper confirmed that the arrest in Thailand of refugee footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi was the direct result of a "miscommunication" between two agencies in Peter Dutton's portfolio.

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

Football analyst Craig Foster said that the Bahraini footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi is determined to return to the pitch once his nightmare comes to an end in Thailand.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday he was “disturbed” to see Bahraini refugee footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi in shackles in Thailand and had told its prime minister this was a serious issue for Australians, reported Reuters.

Lawyer of Bahraini refugee Hakeem Al-Araibi said the court has given her 60 days to submit the defense's case.

A Thai public prosecutor on Friday submitted to a criminal court Bahrain’s extradition request for jailed footballer Hakeem Al Araibi, who fled his country amid political upheaval and has refugee status in Australia.

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.

Thailand's government should immediately release the refugee football player Hakeem Al-Araibi and let him return to his wife and team in Australia, Human Rights Watch said yesterday in announcing a campaign for his freedom.

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.

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.