The saga unfolded on the last day of October, 2004, towards the end of the
closing ceremony. FIDE Vice President GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili tried to mount
the stage where the President of Kalmykia (and FIDE President) was wrapping
things up. Azmaiparashvili was stopped by members of the Guardia Civil, manhandled,
beaten and taken to prison. The charge was that the FIDE VP had attacked the
guards, with a head butt, when they tried to stop him from getting on the stage.
Azmaiparashvili was released from prison 24 hours later, but required to return
to Mallorca for a court hearing. A full list of links describing the incident
are given at the bottom of this page.
Spanish police officials tell the journalists in the press center in Calvià
that Azmaiparashvili had provoked the action by attacking the security officers
with a head butt to the mouth.
FIDE VP Zurab Azmaiparashvili after being released from prison in Mallorca
On July 22, 2005 the court hearing in Mallorca took place and Azmaiparashvili
was cleared of all charges against himself. FIDE has prepared a press release
on the subject which they are expected to publish shortly.
PRESS RELEASE
Athens, 22nd of July 2005
All charges dropped against
FIDE Vice President GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili
All criminal charges were dropped against FIDE Vice President GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili
by the Palma court of justice in Mallorca, Spain, right before it was scheduled
to take place today at noon.
The charges against FIDE Vice President GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili were made
following an incident that took place at the end of the last FIDE Olympiad
in Calvià, Spain, in October 2004. FIDE Vice President GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili
was originally charged with assaulting the police and resisting arrest despite
the fact that he was the one who was brutally assaulted by the Guardia Civil.
Facing overwhelming evidence by the defence, all charges were promptly dropped
before the commencement of the hearing.
FIDE supported GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili throughout this case. FIDE is very
happy that the criminal case is now closed and once again looking forward to
the “Gens Una Sumus” spirit of unity within the chess family.
The FIDE delegation at the court in Mallorca (left to right): Eydun Nolsoe,
Paul Truong, Georgios Makropoulos, Morten Sand, Zurab Azmaiparashvili.
To this the Spanish Chess Federation has added
Spanish Chess Federation Press Release
The Spanish Chess Federation is pleased to communicate that, in accordance
with latest information, the incident in which FIDE Vice-President Zurab Azmaiparashvili
was involved during the closing ceremony of the Calvià Olimpiad 2004, has been
liquidated today. The two parties implicated – the Spanish Police and
Mr. Azmaiparashvili – have agreed to mutually withdraw the accusations,
and therefore, the incident will no longer have any judicial implications.
The Spanish Chess Federation regrets the incidents deeply and we are glad
that the image of the FIDE and its Directive Board has not been damaged. We
understand that the agreed solution is the best for all parties, safeguarding
the image of our sport.
Gens un sumus.
Previous articles on the Azmai Saga
 Scandal
in Calvià, FIDE vice president arrested
31.10.2004
The 36th Chess Olympiad ended with a bang. But not the fireworks we displayed
in our previous report, but with the arrest of FIDE vice president Zurab
Azmaiparashvili, who tried to get the attention of the organisers on the
stage and was wrestled to the floor and dragged to jail by a group of security
agents. Hard to believe, but unfortunately
true. |
|  Azmaiparashvili
in the news; released from jail
01.11.2004 The
bizarre scuffle during the closing ceremony of the Calvià Olympiad made
various mainstream reports. We have press releases from the organizers
and FIDE. Azmai has been released and an interview is forthcoming. For
now we have some alarming
pictures.
|
|  Zurab
Azmaiparashvili's two days in prison
04.11.2004 FIDE
vice president Zurab Azmaiparashvili was attacked by security guards.
Two days later he was released by a Spanish judge and was able to return
to his native Georgia. We spoke to the battered GM immediately after
his release. Let us know your opinion or express your support. Here
is Zurab's harrowing story.
|
|  Smoking
gun in Azmaiparashvili case
05.11.2004 We've
seen the before and after photos. Now we have some brutal "during" photos
of the altercation between the FIDE VP and the Spanish police from Diario
de Mallorca. Will this scandal lead to punitive action by FIDE against
the Spanish organizers or federation? Time will tell. For now you can
see these disturbing
pictures.
|
|  The
Azmaiparashvili Saga – your views
10.11.2004 The
events at the end of the closing ceremony of the 36th Chess Olympiad
stunned chess players all over the world. A FIDE vice president beaten
and arrested? We returned from Calvià to find a barrage of letters from
concerned readers – most in support of "Azmai", but some critical of
his conduct in the affair. Take some time for a long
but interesting read.
|
Smoking
gun in Azmaiparashvili case
05.11.2004
We've seen the before and after photos. Now we have some brutal "during"
photos of the altercation between the FIDE VP and the Spanish police from
Diario de Mallorca. Will this scandal lead to punitive action by FIDE against
the Spanish organizers or federation? Time will tell. For now you can see
these disturbing
pictures. |
