Updates are made at https://twitter.com/SusanPolgar
Once the page’s editors made contact with Kasparov, they issued an update, saying in part: “He is at the police station. He was beaten but says he is okay. He isn’t sure what will happen next. It seems the police are waiting for orders from above. He says he was standing calmly speaking with journalists when police pushed through and grabbed him.”
Kasparov told the Russian news agency Interfax, “At first I did not realize why they arrested me — I was giving interview to a journalist. But then they put me in a van and brutally beat me.” He also said he managed to bite the hand of one of the officers. Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com
You can see the video of the arrest here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19300149
Updates by Chessdom
Update 3: Kasparov beaten according to his Twitter editors
Quote: “We spoke to Kasparov at police station. Was beaten but is ok. Isn’t sure what next step is. Cops waiting for orders from above.”
Quote 2: “Garry was talking with journalists when the police pushed in to drag him away. Not protesting”
Update 4: Interfax managed to speak to Kasparov at 15:00 CET, he said. “At first I did not realize why they arrested me – I was giving interview to a journalist. But then they put me in a van and brutally beat me.”
Update 5: During his arrest Kasparov has bitten the hand of a major police officer. The policeman has gone for official medical confirmation of the incident.
Update 6: No official charges have been pressed against Kasparov yet. News on that topic are expected today.
Update 7: After the two year sentence of Pussy Riot has claimed the full media attention for the past hour, information on Kasparov starts coming again. According to Kommersant, Garry Kasparov denies the having bitten a policeman. The reportedly bitten policeman is still in hospital awaiting medical confirmation. So far 49 people have been detained from the 400 protestors.
Update 8: The police have confirmed that an officer has been bitten by Kasparov. The officer suffered injuries on the left hand that have been certified by the medical staff. Now the local Interior Department is preparing papers against Garry Kasparov, supposedly for aggression against the police.
how are you going to belive kasparov’s denial. He denied that he did a takeback in Linares 93..
As these pics indicate, somebody was filming Kasparov’s entire arrest. Why can’t they prove he didn’t bite a cop? Vids don’t lie.
As these pics indicate, somebody was filming Kasparov’s entire arrest. Why can’t they prove he didn’t bite a cop? Vids don’t lie.
Two things are abundantly clear:
1) The sentencing of the Pussy Riot punk rock band to 2 years in jail is entirely disproportionate to their offence.
2) The arrest of Garry Kasparov, who at the time of his arrest was merely making his views known to a journalist at the site of the protest, was entirely unjustified.
Corporate and state fascism is on the rise throughout the world. The USA is no exception. Civil rights have deteriorated in the USA since the passage of the (anti)-Patriot Act in 2001 during the Bush administration and subsequent acts of the Obama administration denying habeas corpus to US citizens. Decisions by the Supreme Court, such as its (mis)-judgement in the Citizens United versus Federal Elections Commission case have made a mockery of freedom of speech and have consolidated overweening corporate power over US citizens. The government has become almost totally a lackey of the corporate bosses.
Let us hope and pray that Garry Kasparov is released soon and that there will be no further assaults against him by the Russian authorities.
Let us also hope that chessplayers and chess governing bodies across the world will make their protest heard.
If indeed Garry did bite the hand of one of the arresting officers in the van he was being held in, then I think it would be wise for Mr. Kasparov to get some training in non-violent protest.
Lucymarie Ruth
Well Done Putin!!! Excellent nice work. Just one more thing to do. Keep Kasparov in Jail for rest of his life as he is a DOG and bites people.
Kasparov is a blatant communist.
Why should we bother ?
Do you want communists in the US?
garry once called the polgars chess childhood upbringing method ‘ trained dogs’. Now we know who is one.