Formula One has been accused of "looking the other way" by human rights groups in the case of an activist who was beaten, sexually abused and jailed for protesting against the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi has urged Formula One fans to boycott this year's Grand Prix in Bahrain to protest human rights abuses, claiming he still feels threatened by authorities in his homeland, according to AFP.

Human Rights activists produced an animated documentary entitled "The Story of Hakeem" in English with Arabic subtitles. It shows the details of the prosecution and security pursuit of Bahraini soccer player Hakeem Al-Araibi until his release in Thailand and his return to Australia.

An Australian newspaper said that the Bahraini refugee Hakeem Al-Araibi has heaped praise on his coach and teammates for orchestrating the publicity campaign that led to his release from a Thai prison this month after 11 weeks behind bars.

After some 11 weeks of excruciating limbo, and with numerous heroic efforts here in Australia and elsewhere to free the refugee footballer, Hakeem al-Araibi, now vindicated, it is time to look at the implications.

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".

Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai has confirmed that he had met with Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to discuss the release of Bahraini football player Hakeem Al-Araibi.

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 honeymoon that Bahraini footballer Hakeem Al Araibi and his wife had hoped to have in Thailand late last year did not go according to plan.

Media outlets said that the released Bahraini footballer flew to Canberra to Meet Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

An analysis for Australian news website describe Hakeem Al-Araibi's return to Australia after Thai prison release a victory for sport and human rights.

The case of the Bahraini refugee football player who resides in Australia, Hakeem Al-Araibi, has inflicted an overwhelming diplomatic, political and human rights defeat on the Bahraini regime; a defeat clearly witnessed by the local and international public opinion. The regime has not been exposed to such an obvious defeat for a quite some time.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) issued a statement in which it said that it has been working tirelessly with all the relevant stakeholders in Hakeem Al-Araibi's case, in order to bring it to a positive end.

Hakeem Al-Araibi's release shows the power of collective action by athletes, governments, nongovernmental organizations, United Nations agencies, players' unions, and sports federations to address rights issues, Human Rights Watch said.

Former Australia captain Craig Foster considered, in an article published in The Guardian newspaper, that the release of Hakeem Al-Araibi is a win for humanity, for the power of citizens of the world demanding that human rights be protected, indicating that it is the beginning of a broader fight for the values of sport.

Deputy Secretary-General of the National Islamic Al-Wefaq Society Sheikh Hussein Al-Daihi praised the release of the Bahraini footballer, who has refugee status in Australia, Hakeem Al-Araibi, by Thai authorities.

The Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society expressed gratitude and appreciation for the Australian Government and all its bodies and institutions, and the community, the people, the media, and especially the sports sector in Australia.