Bahraini footballer Hakeem al-Araibi returned home to Australia on Tuesday, hours after being released from the Bangkok remand prison in Thailand on Monday.
Hundreds of supporters greeted the footballer at Melbourne Airport carrying welcome signs. "I would like to say thanks to Australia," Al-Araibi told the crowd. "It's amazing to see all of the people here and all of the Australian people and all of the media who supported me."
A criminal court in Thailand ordered al-Araibi's release on Monday after prosecutors submitted a court request to withdraw al-Araibi's extradition case to his native Bahrain, where he faces a 10-year prison sentence.
"There are no grounds to hold him anymore. It is his right to decide where he will go next. He is a free man," said Chatchom Akapin, an official in the Thai Attorney General's office.
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