A leading Thai football club has joined the growing international chorus to free refugee player Hakeem Al-Araibi, who faces deportation to Bahrain where he fears for his life.
Local FA Cup champions Chiang Rai United, the first Thai club to publicly support the detained footballer, also called on its supporters to demand the Thai government meet its international legal and human rights obligations.
Despite increased pressure on Thailand to release Al-Araibi, who lived and played in Australia and was detained on November 27 at Suvarnabhumi airport at Bahrain's request, the case has had limited exposure in the Thai-language media.
Club president Mitti Tiyapairat posted on the club's Facebook page that there should be no reason for any footballer to be imprisoned without proper legal reasons.
Mitti said Al-Araibi's case had been "too quiet" and praised former Socceroo Craig Foster who was in Thailand last week urging football fans and officials to speak out or face the possibility of international sanctions.
"To take a footballer and lock him up is to ruin his life, particularly when there is no reason in law to hold him," wrote Mitti.
"I think we need to come out and demand his release."
Many of the Facebook replies said they hadn't heard about the case or they had misunderstood that Al-Araibi had already been released.
Al-Araibi, 25, who played for the Bahrain national team, was granted refugee status by Australia after he was accused of vandalising a police station in 2012.
The footballer denies the allegations, but was sentenced to 10 years' jail in absentia.
He was arrested on an Interpol red notice requested by Bahrain when he arrived in Thailand for a honeymoon with his wife.
Under Thai law he can be detained for a 60-day period until February 8 while Bahrain prepares a formal extradition order.
FIFA has written to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha requesting al-Araibi's quick release and a meeting with senior officials.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) joined international players' unions and high-profile footballers and athletes demanding the player be allowed to return to Australia.
Foster said it was significant for a Thai professional club to speak out.
"With more and more footballers and clubs coming out in support of Hakeem's immediate release, the pressure is mounting on Thailand to step up and take responsibility for Hakeem's safety by sending him home to Australia," he said.
Foster is in Zurich trying to meet with FIFA officials to press for stronger support of Al-Araibi.
He is due to hold a press conference at 2pm Monday local time.
Meanwhile, pressure is growing on Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa, the president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), to stand aside due to his role in the case.
Al-Araibi has been a strong critic of the sheikh, a member of the Bahrain royal family who is up for re-election to the AFC in April, for not standing up for him when he was accused of vandalism.
The AFC released a statement on Saturday saying it was working with FIFA and the Bahrain, Australian and Thai football federations on resolving the issue.
But Brendan Schwab, executive director of the World Players Association, said Sheik Salman had a "conflict of interest" and was in no position to lead the AFC.
Foster said Sheik Salman's refusal to stand up for al-Araibi precluded him from running for the AFC presidency, adding it was a test of FIFA's ethics and commitment to human rights.
