Efforts to seek bail for Hakeem al-Araibi, 25, continue as his lawyer vowed Thursday to submit a new bail request next week, in which an option to wear an electronic monitoring device will be requested to assure the court that the refugee Bahraini footballer won't jump bail.
The Criminal Court denied him bail on Monday, and local and international human rights organisations were fundraising for a surety to support the new bail request, said Araibi's lawyer, Nadthasiri Bergman.
A very important person will be named a guarantor of the bail application for Araibi, she said. She refused to disclose who the person was. The human rights advocacy groups will provide him with accommodation and daily allowances to cover his day-to-day living costs, she said.
Immigration Bureau chief, Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn, meanwhile, said he met Australian ambassador-designate to Thailand Allan McKinnon on Wednesday and informed the latter about the fact that the requested extradition of Araibi to Bahrain is being considered in court.
According to Pol Lt Gen Surachate, Mr McKinnon had admitted to him that Australia did notify Thai immigration authorities about the Interpol "red notice" against Araibi, which led to his arrest.
The ambassador-designate was very uncomfortable with the Araibi situation and he is therefore pressuring the Thai government to send Araibi back to Australia where he is recognised as a refugee, said Pol Lt Gen Surachate.
Araibi fled criminal charges related to the 2011 Arab Spring protests against Bahrain's government. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Thursday issued a statement clearing up what it said was confusion regarding the Interpol red notice issued against Araibi.
When the Australian government became aware of the situation, it ensured the red notice was rescinded as soon as possible, said the statement, adding that that happened on Nov 30, three days after Araibi arrived in Bangkok.
