Bahraini’s release from Thai prison welcomed

Manama : Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) has welcomed the recent release of a Bahraini citizen from Thai prison through a Royal Pardon issued by the ruling family in Thailand. 

Mohammed Ibrahim, 34, spent seven years behind bars in Thailand on alleged human trafficking charges. Ibrahim reached Bahrain on Friday.

BHRWS congratulated the man’s family and appreciated the efforts of the Bahraini Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Kingdom’s embassy in Bangkok for closely following up the prisoner’s case.

In a statement recently, the society said: “The society has adopted Ibrahim’s case since he was remanded in Thai police custody in 2009. Since then, BHRWS General Secretary Faisal Fulad had personally visited him there more than four times.” “The society had earlier communicated with the National Human Rights Commission in Thailand, the Thai Embassy in Manama and the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry to negotiate the release of Ibrahim.”

“Ibrahim was sentenced by a Thai court to eight years in prison in relation to flesh trade charges, without having a solid proof of conviction, according to Ibrahim. 

The case was filed against him by a Thai woman, who alleged that Ibrahim had brought her to Bahrain and forced her into prostitution. The court also didn’t accept the prisoner’s appeal requests,” it added.

DT News reported on Saturday that Ibrahim was received at Bahrain International Airport by hundreds of friends and relatives. 

While speaking to DT News, he expressed his sincere appreciation to Foreign Affairs Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Bahraini Ambassador to Thailand, Adel Sater, First Secretary Ali Al Balooshi and all of the embassy’s staff, who he said played a major role in his release.