Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov faces criminal charges in Russia - Reports

Garry Kasparov, the Russian Grandmaster, former world chess champion, political activist, and writer, faces potential criminal charges in Moscow after violating the Kremlin’s “foreign agent” law as per a report published on the TASS news agency on Sunday, June 2.

Notably, in 2013, Garry Kasparov left Russia for fear of persecution and has maintained his activism since. He has been a prominent critic of Russian authorities since 2005 when he bid adieu to chess. Interestingly, the 61-year-old even sought the country’s presidency in 2008.

According to the state media, Russian law enforcement officials said there is “every reason” to charge the former chess champion, without providing further details. The unnamed officials went on to state that the fierce Kremlin critic could potentially face up to two years in prison or a substantial fine if legal proceedings are initiated.

Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia added Kasparov to the list of individuals acting as foreign agents. Kasparov’s media office did not respond to comment on this matter immediately.

According to the law, a foreign agent is a person who receives support from foreign states or is under foreign influence and is engaged in political activities in Russia.

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“I am a terrorist in Russia” - Garry Kasparov

In April 2024, Radio Free Europe, citing reports from Russian media, reported in English that a court in Russia’s Komi region had issued an arrest warrant for Kasparov on terrorism charges. This action came a month after the former chess grandmaster was added to the list of terrorists and extremists.

“I am a terrorist in Russia; I have graduated from ‘foreign agent’ to ‘extremist,’ and now I am a ‘terrorist,” Garry Kasparov told The Jerusalem Post published on Sunday.

“Many of my colleagues are [also called] ‘terrorists.’,” he added.

Notably, Kasparov became the youngest-ever world champion in 1985 at age 22 after defeating then-champion Anatoly Karpov. Kasparov defended the title against Karpov three times, in 1986, 1987, and 1990.

Furthermore, Kasparov coached Magnus Carlsen in 2009 and 2010 as the latter rose to World No. 1 in the rankings.