Supporters of the Australia-based refugee Hakeem al-Araibi have petitioned the United Nations to seek the young footballer’s freedom from a Thai jail cell, where he awaits extradition to Bahrain over a conviction he says is politically motivated.

Al-Araibi has been in detention for more than two weeks after he was arrested at Bangkok airport after arriving for a holiday with his wife. A Thai court has ordered further detention of 60 days while it processes an extradition request from Bahrain, despite strident appeals from the Australian government to return Al-Araibi.

The urgent appeal submission was compiled by rights groups including Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy.

It was addressed to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a number of high-ranking UN representatives including the special rapporteur on torture, and the working group on arbitrary detention.

“ADHRB and BIRD submit that the extradition of Mr Al-Araibi to Bahrain would constitute an unlawful refoulement, and would be in violation of Thailand’s international legal obligations,” it said.

Al-Araibi had been tortured before, and likely would be again if he was extradited to Bahrain, it said.

“The United Nations Committee Against Torture’s concluding observations found “widespread torture and ill-treatment” in Bahrain, and noted that a “climate of impunity” exists in Bahrain in regards to torture, considering the low number of convictions for torture.”

Al-Araibi was convicted in absentia in 2014 by a Bahraini court, based on the coerced confession of his co-defendant and brother, Emad Ali Mohamed al-Araibi, who said that the two of them and 150 others vandalised a police station at 6.30pm.

The court instead concluded that the time of the incident was 8pm, the submission said.

The submission detailed key evidence it claimed showed Al-Araibi’s innocence, including video footage of the match Al-Araibi was playing on the night of the alleged crime, and claims that it would have been “physically impossible” for him to travel between the two, even going by the court’s timing of 8pm.

Footage of a football match, including player Hakeem al-Araibi, who was convicted for an act of vandalism which occurred around the same time.

“Despite this alibi being presented to the court through Mr Emad al-Araibi’s defence, the court disregarded this evidence and convicted Mr Al-Araibi in absentia”, it said.

“In addition to ignoring exculpatory evidence, the court also disregarded the allegations that Mr Emad al-Araibi’s confession was obtained through physical and psychological duress.”

A translation of the court ruling, provided to Guardian Australia, ruled there was not sufficient evidence of physical or psychological violence because there was no sign of injuries and, when asked, the defendants said they had not been abused.

“The court does not need to respond to the evidence presented by the defence. It is sufficient to take the evidence that was conclusive in showing that they committed the crime,” it said.

Thai immigration authorities initially cited an Interpol red notice against him as reason for the arrest, but when that was lifted – believed to be after Interpol was made aware it should never have been issued - Thailand said Bahrain had requested the arrest.

The timeline of events has raised numerous concerns about how Bahrain knew al-Araibi was preparing to travel, why Interpol granted their request for a red notice, and why the Australian federal police informed Thailand Al-Araibi was on his way.

Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson, said the OHCHR was sympathetic to Al-Araibi’s situation and was among groups making overtures to the Thai government for his release. Other government embassies, including the US, Sweden, and Germany, had also lobbied on his behalf, Robertson said.

He said Australia had to ensure it was exerting “maximum pressure” on Thailand to bring him home, particularly after the revelation that the AFP informed Thailand of his travel.

“My personal opinion is that should be investigated,” he said.

“All they had to do was look at the record and see he’s a refugee.”

Robertson said there was wide concern that Al-Araibi’s extradition would mean everyone who traveled through Thailand on a refugee visa was at risk.

“The conviction was bogus, this was a political frame-up in a court that was far from independent,” Robertson told Guardian Australia.

“Any extradition of a refugee would constitute a flagrant breach of Thailand’s responsibilities to the convention against torture.”

“Thailand will face a real wave of criticism from the UN and governments around the world if they extradite.”