The Lithuanian Chess Federation condemns the decision of the Ethics Commission of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to cancel the suspension of the membership of the Russian Chess Federation.
FIDE, which suspended the membership of the Russian Chess Federation for two years only in June of this year, canceled this decision three months later, replacing it with a symbolic fine of 45 thousand euros.
Appeal Cancels Suspension of Russian Chess Federation, Imposes โฌ45,000 Fine
The FIDE Ethics Commission overturned the suspension of the Russian Chess Federation, replacing it with a โฌ45,000 fine. It also lifted the reprimand on FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.
The decision was made by panel members Francois Strydom (Ethics Commission Chairman, South Africa), David Hater (USA), and Ravindra Dongre (India).
Ukrainian journalist Oleg Scherbakov, chief editor of Tribuna.com Ukraine, discovered that Francois Strydom is also Chairman of the International Boxing Association (IBA) Dispute Resolution Chamber, while IBA is presided by another Russian Umar Kremlinov.
Further, Strydom is linked with the Russian Law Firm SILA, who represented Dvorkovich in the famous 2018 election corruption case in Ethics, where Strydom-chaired EDC and again decided the case in favour of Dvorkovich.
Strydom claims there is no conflict of interest, stating his record is “impeccable.”
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