Detained Bahraini soccer player Hakeem al-Araibi, front left, arrives at the criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand Monday, Feb. 4, 2019. (Sakchai Lalit/Associated Press)BANGKOK — A soccer player who has refugee status in Australia told a Thai court Monday that he refuses to be voluntarily extradited to Bahrain, which has asked for his return to serve a prison sentence for a crime he denies committing. Bahrain won’t defend me,” a chained Hakeem al-Araibi shouted to reporters outside court as he was escorted by prison guards into Monday’s hearing. The Bangkok court set an April 22 date for a next hearing. Football is with you,” former Australia national soccer team captain Craig Foster said to Hakeem outside court.

Source: Washington Post February 04, 2019 02:30 UTC