Gafur Rakhimov

Last updated
Gafur Rakhimov
Born
G'ofur-Arslonbek Ahmedovich Rahimov

(1951-07-22) July 22, 1951 (age 72)
Known forSports
AwardsMaster of Sports

Gafur Rakhimov (Uzbek : G'ofur-Arslonbek Ahmedovich Rahimov) (born July 22, 1951) is an Uzbek businessman and sports administrator who was the President of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) [1] for 20 months until his resignation in July 2019. [2]

Biography

Rakhimov was born July 22, 1951, in Tashkent. [3] He took up boxing as a youth and later moved on to coaching. After Uzbekistan's independence in 1991, he set up several commercial enterprises, which included trading in both raw materials and finished consumer goods. In March 1991, he founded Agroplus, an export-import company, and was in charge of it from 1991 to 1993. He also became a prominent figure in Central Asian boxing. In 2001 and 2005 he was elected Vice-President of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan. [4] [5]

On 25 May 1998, Yuri Shchekochikhin accused Rakhimov along with KGB Major General Evgeny G. Khokholkov, who headed URPO in the FSB, and Salim Abduvaliev of very unusual activities. [6] [7] [8]

According to Alexander Litvinenko, both Rakhimov and Salim Abduvaliev are closely associated with a Vladimir Putin organized narcotics trafficking network that is close to the Izmaylovskaya mafia (OPG) the Tambov Russian mafia (OPG), Evgeny Khokholkov (Russian : Евгений Хохольков), an Uzbek KGB who was head of FSB, Vyacheslav Ivankov (Russian : Вячеслав Иваньков) Yaponchik, who governed Uzbek networks in America, and Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov (Russian : Алимжан Тохтахунов) Taiwanchik, who governed Uzbek networks in Europe, with heroin from Central Asia including Afghanistan and cocaine from Colombia through the St. Petersburg's Sea Port (Russian : Морской порт Санкт-Петербург) to Europe. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] Robert Eringer confirmed this. [14]

On 23 February 2012, the US Department of the Treasury put financial sanctions on Rakhimov and several other individuals, accused of being part of the so-called Brothers' Circle criminal organization. [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] Nevertheless, Rakhimov has never been charged with any crime in any country. [20] He has won defamation suits at the high courts in Britain, Australia and France. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cali Cartel</span> Former Colombian drug cartel

The Cali Cartel was a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around the city of Cali and the Valle del Cauca. Its founders were the brothers Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela and José Santacruz Londoño. They broke away from Pablo Escobar and his Medellín associates in 1988, when Hélmer "Pacho" Herrera joined what became a four-man executive board that ran the cartel.

Russian organized crime or Russian mafia, otherwise known as Bratva, is a collective of various organized crime elements originating in the former Soviet Union. The initialism OPG is Organized Criminal Group, used to refer to any of the Russian mafia groups, sometimes modified with a specific name, e.g. Orekhovskaya OPG. Sometimes the initialism is translated and OCG is used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 Russian apartment bombings</span> Terrorist bombings in Russia

The Russian apartment bombings were a series of explosions that hit four apartment blocks in the Russian cities of Buynaksk, Moscow, and Volgodonsk in September 1999, killing more than 300, injuring more than 1,000, and spreading a wave of fear across the country. The bombings, together with the Invasion of Dagestan, triggered the Second Chechen War. The handling of the crisis by Vladimir Putin, who was prime minister at the time, boosted his popularity greatly and helped him attain the presidency within a few months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikolai Patrushev</span> Russian politician and security officer (born 1951)

Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev is a Russian politician, security officer and intelligence officer who has served as the secretary of the Security Council of Russia since 2008. He previously served as the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) from 1999 to 2008. Belonging to the siloviki faction of president Vladimir Putin's inner circle, Patrushev is believed to be one of the closest advisors to Putin and a leading figure behind Russia's national security affairs. He played a key role in the decisions to annex Crimea in 2014, intervene in Syria in 2015 and invade Ukraine in 2022. He is considered as very hawkish towards the West and the US, and has promoted various conspiracy theories. Patrushev is seen by some observers as one of the likeliest candidates for succeeding Putin.

Mikhail Ivanovich Trepashkin is a Russian attorney and former Federal Security Service (FSB) colonel who was invited by MP Sergei Kovalev to assist in an independent inquiry of the Russian apartment bombings in September 1999 that followed the Dagestan war and were one of the causes of the Second Chechen War. During his investigation, he was arrested by the FSB and sentenced to four years' imprisonment for "revealing state secrets". His arrest has been criticized by a number of human rights organizations and he has been called a political prisoner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assassination of Anna Politkovskaya</span> 2006 murder in Moscow, Russia

On 7 October 2006, Russian journalist, writer and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya was shot dead in the elevator of her apartment block in central Moscow. She was known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and for criticism of Vladimir Putin. She authored several books about the Chechen wars, as well as Putin's Russia, and received several international awards for her work. Her murder, believed to be a contract killing, sparked a strong international reaction. Three Chechens were arrested for the murder, but were acquitted. The verdict was overturned by the Supreme Court of Russia and new trials were held. In total, six people were convicted of charges related to her death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Litvinenko</span> British-naturalised Russian defector murdered in London (1962–2006)

Alexander Valterovich "Sasha" Litvinenko was a British-naturalised Russian defector and former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) who specialised in tackling organised crime. A prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, he advised British intelligence and coined the term "mafia state".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuri Shchekochikhin</span> Russian investigative journalist, writer and lawmaker

Yuri Petrovich Shchekochikhin was a Soviet and later Russian investigative journalist, writer, and liberal lawmaker in the Russian parliament. Shchekochikhin wrote and campaigned against the influence of organized crime and corruption. His last non-fiction book, Slaves of the KGB, was about people who worked as KGB informers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sergei Yushenkov</span> Russian politician (1950–2003)

Sergei Nikolayevich Yushenkov was a liberal Russian politician. He was assassinated on 17 April 2003, just hours after registering his political party to participate in the December 2003 parliamentary elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paolo Guzzanti</span> Italian journalist and politician

Paolo Guzzanti is an Italian journalist and politician. He was previously a member of the Italian Socialist Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko</span> Fatal poisoning of a former FSB and KGB officer

Alexander Litvinenko was an officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and its predecessor, the KGB, until he left the service and fled the country.

The Tambov Gang is a large gang in Saint Petersburg, Russia. According to common allegations, it was organised in Leningrad in 1988 by two men from Tambov Oblast, Vladimir Kumarin and one from St. Petersburg. The gang is named after their region of origin. Despite allegations, Kumarin continues to deny his involvement. Originally the gangsters were recruited from people of Tambov origin and sportsmen, and were engaged in a protection racket.

Vladimir Alexeyevich Smirnov is a prominent Russian businessman, former Director General of the Petersburg Fuel Company (1997–1998), former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Petersburg Fuel Company (1999–2001). In 2002–2007 he was the Director General of Tekhsnabexport (TENEX) which carries out export of goods and services produced by Russian nuclear enterprises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Bortnikov</span> Russian official

Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov is a Russian intelligence officer who has served as the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) since 2008. He is one of the most powerful members of the silovik faction of president Vladimir Putin's inner circle. A Hero of the Russian Federation since 2019, he also holds the rank of General of the Army, the second highest grade in use in the Russian military. According to some experts, it's likely Bortnikov played a key role in Putin's decision to invade Ukraine in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viktor Zolotov</span> Head of the Russian Presidential Security Service

Viktor Vasilyevich Zolotov is a Russian military officer who is the Director of the National Guard (Rosgvardiya) and a member of the Security Council.

<i>Blowing Up Russia</i> Book by Alexander Litvinenko and Yuri Felshtinsky

Blowing Up Russia: Terror from Within is a book written by Alexander Litvinenko and Yuri Felshtinsky. The authors describe the Russian apartment bombings as a false flag operation that was guided by the Russian Federal Security Service to justify the Second Chechen War and bring Vladimir Putin to power. The story was initially printed by Yuri Shchekochikhin in a special issue of Novaya Gazeta in August 2001 and published as a book in 2002. In Russia the book was prohibited because it divulged state secrets, and it was included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. However, it was published in more than twenty other countries and translated into twenty languages.

The poison laboratory of the Soviet secret services, alternatively known as Laboratory 1, Laboratory 12, and Kamera, was a covert research-and-development facility of the Soviet secret police agencies. The laboratory manufactured and tested poisons and was reportedly reactivated in the late 1990s.

Vyacheslav Kirillovich Ivankov was a Russian mafia boss and thief in law who was believed to have connections with Russian state intelligence organizations and their organized crime partners. He operated in both the Soviet Union and the United States. His nickname, "Yaponchik" (Япончик) translates from Russian as "Little Japanese", due to his faintly Asian facial features.

References

  1. "Gafur Rakhimov elected president of Aiba despite IOC criticisms". 3 November 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2018.
  2. Morgan, Liam. "Rakhimov formally resigns as International Boxing Association President". insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  3. Khaknazarov, Usman (20 February 2003). "Renascence of "Power Broker" of Uzbek Policy: Or how Uzbek president Islam Karimov is reverting to the hands of his first master". muslimuzbekistan.com. Archived from the original on 26 May 2006. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  4. Gafur Rakhimov's official website - Bibliography Archived 2012-04-28 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Rakhimov Garfur Akhmedovich: Biography". Rakhimov Garfur Akhmedovich Personal Internet Site. Archived from the original on 19 June 2006. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  6. Щекочихин, Юрий (Shchekochikhin, Yuri) (25 May 1998). "Брат Плащ и Кинжал-3. Может ли проиграть в казино $120 000 начальник одного из самых секретных управлений ФСБ? Депутатский запрос заместителя главного редактора "Новой газеты" Юрия Щекочихина" [Brother Cloak and Dagger-3. Can a boss of one of the most secret FSB departments lose $ 120,000 in a casino? Deputy request of the deputy chief editor of "Novaya Gazeta" Yuri Shchekochikhin]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). Archived from the original on 18 April 2001. Retrieved 8 January 2021 via Агентура (Agentura).
  7. "В ФСБ создано УРПО" [URPO created in FSB]. Агентура (Agentura) (in Russian). 12 August 2000. Archived from the original on 28 January 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  8. "А был ли киллер?" [Was there a killer?]. Komsomolskaya Pravda (in Russian). Archived from the original on 14 May 2001. Retrieved 8 January 2021 via Novosti.
  9. Кириленко, Анастасия (Kirilenko, Anastasia) (21 January 2016). "Путин и мафия. За что убили Александра Литвиненко" [Putin and mafia. Why Alexander Litvinenko was killed]. The Insider (in Russian). Archived from the original on 23 January 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  10. Litvinenko, Alexander Схема связей преступного мира, нарисованная Литвиненко (Litvinenko's diagram of the connections of the underworld) Archived from the original on 23 January 2016.
  11. Радио Озодлик (Radio Ozodlik) (24 February 2016). Литвиненко утверждал о связях «узбекских бандитов Гафура и Салима» с Путиным (Litvinenko claimed links between "Uzbek bandits Gafur and Salim" with Putin). Радио Озодлик . Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  12. Литвиненко, Александр (Litvinenko, Alexander) (2002). ЛПГ (Лубянская преступная группировка) (LPG (Lubyanka criminal group)). Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  13. Литвиненко, Александр (Litvinenko, Alexander) (2002). Глава 4. Узбекский след (Chapter 4. Uzbek trace). Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  14. Кириленко, Анастасия (Kirilenko, Anastasia) (16 December 2013). "Путин на "личной службе" у князя Альбера" [Putin on "personal service" with Prince Albert]. Радио Свобода (Radio Svoboda). Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  15. Treasury Imposes Sanctions On Key Members Of The Yakuza And Brothers' Circle Criminal Organizations
  16. "U.S. Sanctions Top Members of Crime Groups". OCCRP . 26 February 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  17. "Obama Calls "Brothers' Circle" a National Security Threat...But Who Are They?". Hetq Online . 14 March 2012. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  18. "Who Is The Brothers' Circle?". OCCRP . 12 March 2012. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  19. "US: New Sanctions Against Brothers' Circle". OCCRP . 7 June 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  20. "Boxing Aims to Please the IOC -- ATRadio".
  21. "Uzbek Olympic Official Wins Case". February 2002.
Preceded by AIBA President
2017 March 23, 2019
Retired
Succeeded by
Flag of Morocco.svg Mohamed Moustahsane
(Interim President)