Infantino defends FIFA from criticism over Bahraini footballer

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Friday defended 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.

Infantino defends FIFA from criticism over Bahraini footballer

(Reuters)





Araibi was held in a Thai prison for more than two months at the Gulf state's request before arriving in his adoptive home Australia on Tuesday to cheers from hundreds of supporters.

The 25-year-old fled Bahrain in 2014 after being accused of crimes committed during the 2011 Arab Spring protests, which he denies, and received refugee status in Australia. He had travelled to Thailand for his honeymoon.

"We have been working for this solution through official channels obviously. We have been working as well behind the scenes," Infantino told a news conference in Istanbul when asked about criticism over the lack of FIFA public statements on the case.

"I prefer not to make any press conferences or any big statements. I prefer to have results. This is how we are working at FIFA," he said at the end of a FIFA summit in Istanbul.

"I think we can celebrate the fact that everything ended in a very positive way, and we are just happy about that," Infantino said.

"It is not the merit or no merit of anyone in particular; it's all those who have contributed," he said.

Araibi had been convicted of vandalising a police station in Bahrain and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in absentia.

He has denied any wrongdoing, saying that he was playing in a televised match at the time the offence was committed, and was granted asylum in Australia in 2017. Bahrain, however, sought his extradition from Thailand.

He was freed after nearly three months of diplomacy, legal manoeuvring by the governments of Australia, Thailand and Bahrain, and a public campaign by footballers and human rights activists.





(Reporting by Daren Butler; Editing by Hugh Lawson)


Share
2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
Infantino defends FIFA from criticism over Bahraini footballer | SBS News