Hakeem Al-Araibi to remain in Thai prison

Hakeem Al-Araibi will remain behind bars until his next court hearing on April 22, a Thai court ruled today.

The refugee footballer will now have to wait 60 days until a new case can be made for his release and return to Australia.

In what was originally a closed hearing, representatives from 13 countries and the European Union gathered inside the Thai courtroom on Monday, where Al-Araibi had denied Bahrain's extradition request.

Former Socceroos captain and SBS chief football analyst Craig Foster continued to voice his support for the 25-year-old, who has been in detention in Bangkok since November 27.

"Australia is with you, buddy," Foster said as a heavily guarded Al-Araibi walked by.

"Stay strong. All of Australia is with you. Football is with you."

Both Al-Araibi's representatives and the prosecution will need to have their cases prepared by April 5, before the court hear from witnesses 17 days later.

PFA Chief Executive John Didulica addressed Al-Araibi's situation on Monday and called for several sports governing bodies to intervene and fulfil their fundamental human rights obligations.

"Hakeem’s detention is a flagrant breach of his internationally accepted human rights as an Australian permanent resident and refugee," Didulica said.

"He is an innocent young man being held illegally - in shackles - in a foreign country.

"Over the weekend, we saw Australia’s footballers, clubs, fans and referees make a commitment to saving Hakeem.

"The next step is for the sporting community to call on FIFA, the AFC and the IOC to consider sanctions against Bahrain and Thailand."