العربية
South China Morning Post reported that Radha Stirling, the founder of Detained in Dubai, which is an organisation committed to helping people they consider unfairly treated by the justice systems in the Middle East, commented on Thailand’s move backing Saudi 18-year-old Rahaf Mohammed Al-Qunun in a tweet saying: “Great news that Thailand has allowed the UN to assess Rahaf rather than sending her back to the country from which she was seeking asylum. Thailand needs to allow Hakeem to return to Australia and stop Bahrain’s legal abuse.”
Human rights activists are hoping the Thai government will adhere to its principle of “not sending anyone to die” by releasing Australia-based Bahrain footballer Hakeem al-Araibi, who remains in a Bangkok jail awaiting deportation while a Saudi Arabian asylum seeker is reportedly a step closer to freedom.
“We call on @UNHCRThailand to meet Hakeem who is detained in Thailand since 43 days and put max pressure on Thai government to prevent extraditing him to Bahrain,” said Yahya al-Hadid, an Australia-based activist for Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights who tweets the same message every day, only changing the number of days.
Former Australia soccer captain Craig Foster, one of the many personalities who have come together to lobby for Al-Araibi’s freedom, wrote: “Wonderful for Rahaf. Work still to do for Hakeem. Needs to be impressed further on Thai Government the international condemnation that will follow from any decision to extradite him to Bahrain. World is watching.”
In response to Foster’s tweet, Stirling said: “Agree Craig. Interpol dropped their wrongful notice, Thailand should return Hakeem to Australia where he successfully sought asylum from Bahrain, thus confirming that he had something to flee from. Thailand must recognise importance of human rights treaties.”
With regards to Rahaf, Thailand’s chief of immigration police Surachate Hakparn was quoted by the BBC as saying the country would “take care of her as best we can”, adding: “She is now under the sovereignty of Thailand; no one and no embassy can force her to go anywhere. Thailand is a land of smiles. We will not send anyone to die.”