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Iranian Player in Aeroflot Open Jailed in Moscow |
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Thursday, 22 February 2007 00:00 |
 Former Iranian junior champion Afshin Tehrani has been jailed in Moscow. He travelled to Moscow on an Aeroflot Open ticket and was arrested by police at the Sheremetyevo airport when he was returning to Iran. The
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>Iranian Chess Federation representative requests the assistance of the Russian Chess Federation or any other official organization to get their player out of jail. .
Former Iranian junior champion Afshin Tehrani has been jailed in Moscow. The Iranian Chess Federation representative requests the assistance of the Russian Chess Federation or any other official organization to get their player out of jail. He travelled to Moscow on an Aeroflot Open ticket and was arrested by police at the Sheremetyevo airport when he was returning to Iran.
Mr. Haj Afshin Abolghasem Tehrani went to Moscow on an Aeroflot Open chess tournament ticket to register about 28 Iranian players in the Aeroflot Open. On his way back he was caught by the Moscow police and is now in jail.
Now we need the help of the Russian Chess Federation or any other official organization to get the Iranian representative out of jail.
We had the same problem last year when we could not send money normally by bank transfer to European banks. We had to send money with Mr. Tehrani and he registered Iranian players. The organizer sent tickets for our players and they participated in the 6th Aeroflot Open Chess Tournament.
This year we decided to do the same. We informed the organizer of the Aeroflot Open that we will send between 20 to 30 players to the 7th Aeroflot tournament. We received one advice on 31st January 2007 that the last day to send the list of players is 1st February 2007. We sent the email to them 20:00 HRS of 1st February but after four days they informed us that it is too late and we should have sent it in the morning of 1st February. They said the only way is to come to Moscow by tourist visa.
They sent one ticket for Mr. Tehrani and he went to Moscow with a tourist visa and on the 11th of February he went to the organizer`s office with the list of players and paid the money.
But unfortunately there was not enough accommodation for all the Iranian players and we could only register 18 players. However, the Russian consulate refused to issue tourist visas for Iranian players and the whole group could not go to this tournament.
Mr. Tehrani said he felt guilty to play when his colleagues could not play and he decided to return to Iran. He then asked Mr. Alexander Bach, director of the Aeroflot Open and Executive Director of the Russian Chess Federation to refund the money. Mr. Bach kept $2,000 as penalty and informed him that carrying money in the Moscow airport is dangerous.
But Afshin continued to the airport not knowing that it is a crime to carry money in the Russian airport.
At the airport, the police found money in his clothes and caught him. They kept him for two days in the police station in the Sheremetyevo 2 airport and then sent him to `Piaty izoliator` prison and they said that maybe he should stay for two years in the prison.
Mr. Tehrani is also chairman of the Training Committee of the Iranian Chess Federation. We ask the help of the Russian Chess Federation to explain the circumstances to the police.
By
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>Mehrdad Pahlevanzadeh
Delegate, Iran Chess Federation |
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