The FIFA urged on Tuesday the Thai and Bahraini authorities to act urgently to allow former international Bahraini football player Hakeem Al-Oraibi, who has been held prisoner in Thailand to serve a 10-year sentence of a “terrorism case,” to return to Australia, where he is staying under refugee status.

This urgent call came following a meeting at FIFA headquarters in Zurich between FIFA’s Secretary-General, the Senegalese Fatma Samoura, and the former captain of Australia national football team, Craig Foster.

Foster has handed over the International Federation a petition with more than 50 thousand signatures demanding the release of the football player who has been held in Thailand since November 27.

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“We strongly urge the Thai and Bahraini authorities to take appropriate measures to ensure the safe and urgent return of Mr. Al-Oraibi to Australia,” Samoura said in a statement.

The FIFA’s statement said: “This should not have happened, because Mr. Al-Oraibi is now living, working and playing as a professional football player in Australia, where he has been granted refugee status.”

Al-Oraibi, 25, left to Australia in May 2015, obtained refugee status in November 2017 and then played for Pascoe Vale Soccer Club in Melbourne.

According to the London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), Al-Oraibi was arrested in Bahrain in 2012 amid protests against the authorities. He was beaten and tortured on the grounds of belonging to the Shiite community, thousands of whose members participated in protests against the Sunni ruling family Al Khalifa, and the political activity of the ruler’s brother.