Arrest of Garry Kasparov
Chess player and opposition figure Garry Kasparov was sentenced in absentia by a court in Moscow. This information was released by the 'Mediazona' resource, citing 'Gromadske'.
According to reports, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow made the decision to arrest Kasparov as part of a case regarding the justification of terrorism on the internet, which took place on December 22.
Career of Garry Kasparov
In October 2024, Garry Kasparov became a defendant in a case under the article regarding violent seizure of power along with other members of the 'Anti-War Committee of Russia'. Last year, Kasparov and other participants of the 'Forum for Free Russia' were arrested in Komi on charges of 'terrorist community'.
Garry Kasparov is the thirteenth world chess champion. He is considered one of the greatest chess players of all time and the holder of eleven chess 'Oscars' (awards for the best chess player of the year).
Kasparov led the FIDE world ranking from 1985 to 2006 with minor interruptions.
Public Appearance of Athletes
Russian speed skater Aleksandra Saitina, recognized as a neutral athlete by the International Skating Union (ISU), participated in the annual message of Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the Federal Assembly. That was on February 29, 2024.
Russian skier Veronika Stepanova published a photo on Instagram capturing Saitina's participation in a propaganda event alongside Putin's associates and Russian servicemen who fought against Ukraine. These facts violated the IOC recommendations regarding neutral athletes, as the 2026 Olympics will take place in Italy from February 6 to 22.
According to information, Russian chess player Garry Kasparov was sentenced in absentia by a court in Moscow due to a case regarding the justification of terrorism on the internet. Kasparov was also a defendant in other investigations related to political activity and participation in opposition protests. It should be noted that he is one of the most outstanding chess players of all time and has numerous awards in this field. At the same time, the public appearance of certain athletes, particularly participation in propaganda events, violates the recommendations of sports organizations regarding the behavior of participants at political forums.