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Hakeem al-Araibi was released in February as a result of a global outcry.
A refugee footballer detained in Thailand for more than two months claimed to have been tortured in Bahrain.
Hakeem al-Araibi, a Bahraini citizen, was held in Bangkok in November while he was on honeymoon at the request of Bahrain.
The Bahraini government accused him of vandalizing a police station during the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.
However, the 25-year-old was released after a public outcry and diplomatic pressure.
"When they took me to the police station, they tortured me for five hours," al-Araibi told reporters in Sydney.
"They beat me very hard on my legs and I could not walk anymore." They said I would never play [football] again.
"Everyday, I cried until I returned to my wife's home in Australia." I was very scared [have to] return to Bahrain. "
Hundreds of fans hailed his return to a Melbourne airport in February. Australian footballer Craig Foster led Araibi's successful release campaign.
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His wife told the BBC that she was deeply grateful for the lobbying efforts of the Australian government and public and the international football community.
Al-Araibi, who plays for Melbourne's Pascoe Vale FC, became an Australian citizen earlier this month after pbading a citizenship test.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison attended his citizenship ceremony in Melbourne.
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