Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in London

[David Sedgwick]

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... ondon.html

[Marcus Misson]

They did well to get the minutes out so quickly.

[Roger de Coverly]

They did well to get the minutes out so quickly.

There's more
http://www.rusemb.org.uk/press/1983
(Russian Embassy)
and
http://gbr.rs.gov.ru/en/node/3305
(Rossotrudnichestvo)

If you wanted to be charitable, you could say that the latter organisation was akin to the British Council. If you didn't, it's a Russian propaganda outfit.

If the ECF was a bit more prompt about reporting its activities, any members uneasy about the ECF seemingly becoming beholden to the Russian regime and its representative, the FIDE President, might have been able to express their concerns.

[Roger de Coverly]

This is the ECF's side of the story

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/fide-ecf ... more-32961

You could wonder whether FIDE and the ECF were attending the same meetings.

[Peter Sowray]

This is the ECF's side of the story

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/fide-ecf ... more-32961

In the light of Ilyumzhinov's human rights record, I find the ECF's behaviour unacceptable.

[Carl Hibbard]

Has the ECF now given up on Kasparov then?

[Roger de Coverly]

Has the ECF now given up on Kasparov then?

I think Kasparov has given up on Kasparov. The problem was that he wasn't just opposed by the FIDE establishment, as were Kok and Karpov, but also the Russian Diplomatic service.

[NickFaulks]

Has the ECF now given up on Kasparov then?

Perhaps they're not as dim as they like to appear.

[Angus French]

Has the ECF now given up on Kasparov then?

I think Kasparov has given up on Kasparov. The problem was that he wasn't just opposed by the FIDE establishment, as were Kok and Karpov, but also the Russian Diplomatic service.

You reckon the Russian Diplomatic Service had that much influence?

(FWIW, my personal view is that Kasparov is a lousy politician and ran an awful, largely-negative, campaign with the wrong people to guide and support him.)

[Angus French]

This is the ECF's side of the story

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/fide-ecf ... more-32961

In the light of Ilyumzhinov's human rights record, I find the ECF's behaviour unacceptable.

What have the ECF done that's unacceptable? Should they not engage with FIDE?

[Peter Sowray]

What have the ECF done that's unacceptable? Should they not engage with FIDE?

The ECF's own record of the meeting shows that they failed to challenge Ilyumzhinov's human rights record. Or if they did, they chose not to publish this.

In either case, that's unacceptable.

[NickFaulks]

What have the ECF done that's unacceptable? Should they not engage with FIDE?

The ECF's own record of the meeting shows that they failed to challenge Ilyumzhinov's human rights record. Or if they did, they chose not to publish this.

In either case, that's unacceptable.

Do we actually know much about Ilyumzhinov's human rights record? He certainly doesn't seem to mind contact with odious regimes ( when other leaders do that it's called diplomacy ) but I suspect he has less blood on his own hands than recent UK administrations.

[David Sedgwick]

What have the ECF done that's unacceptable? Should they not engage with FIDE?

The ECF's own record of the meeting shows that they failed to challenge Ilyumzhinov's human rights record. Or if they did, they chose not to publish this.

In either case, that's unacceptable.

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has many faults. It's not immediately obvious to me why you consider his "human rights record" to be one of them.

Could you elaborate, please?

[Peter Sowray]

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has many faults. It's not immediately obvious to me why you consider his "human rights record" to be one of them.

Could you elaborate, please?

David,

There are many good sources. You could start by googling Larisa Yudina, or visit the Kingpin site and look at their material. Or read Sarah Hurst's book.

Best,

Peter

[NickFaulks]

David,

There are many good sources. You could start by googling Larisa Yudina, or visit the Kingpin site and look at their material. Or read Sarah Hurst's book.

Best,

Peter

Yes, but they're really all the same source. If there were a pattern of bad behaviour I would expect more that one single story, repeated ad infinitum.