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Swiss court upholds life ban for former Afghan football boss
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the life ban imposed last year on the former president of the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
CAS issued its decision in the appeal arbitration procedure between Karim and FIFA on Tuesday.
A statement issued by the court stated that the CAS panel dismissed the appeal and confirmed the decision taken by the Adjudicatory Chamber of FIFA Ethics Committee on June 8 last year.
At the time, Karim was found to have breached Article 23 (Protection of physical and mental integrity) and article 25 (Abuse of position) of the FIFA Code of Ethics and sanctioned him with a life ban from all football-related activities at both national and international level, and ordered him to pay a US$1 million fine.
The FIFA Ethics Committee investigation into Karim came after complaints were lodged by female Afghan football players accusing him of sexual abuse between 2013 and 2018.
During the CAS hearing, several players of the AFF women’s national team stated that they had been sexually and physically abused by Karim.
According to the court statement: “The players testified from a secured place, by telephone, using a voice scrambler to protect their identity.
The Panel in charge of this matter underlined that, unlike bribery and match-fixing which damage the integrity of the sport, the offenses committed by Keramuddin Karim violated basic human rights and damaged the mental and physical dignity and integrity of young female players.
With his appalling acts, he had destroyed not only their careers but severely damaged their lives.
The Panel determined that Keramuddin Karim should get the most severe sanction possible available under the FIFA Code of Ethics, i.e. a life ban and a fine of (Swiss Francs) CHF 1 million (US$1 million).
FIFA meanwhile welcomed the Swiss court’s decision and said in a statement that it confirms the importance of its “zero-tolerance policy against physical, mental and sexual abuses at all levels of football.”
The organization also praised “the bravery of those victims who, under dreadful personal circumstances in their home country, have come forward and allowed for justice to be served.”
An Afghan man has pleaded guilty to sexual communication with a child in the United Kingdom. Najeebullah Arab appeared before a court in Oxford on May 8 and admitted to the offence, which took place in Grove in May 2024.
The 40-year-old had initially denied the charge and was expected to stand trial later this year. Court records stated that he made inappropriate comments to the child, including remarks about her appearance and requests to spend time alone with her.
Earlier this year, Arab also pleaded guilty to several other offences. These included one count of sexual assault linked to an incident in Grove on January 21.
He additionally admitted to charges of sexual assault, rape and kidnapping involving another woman on January 27. The court previously heard that he dragged a woman from an alleyway into a field during the incident.
Following the earlier hearings in March, a small group of protesters gathered outside the court building carrying flags and banners. Police officials praised the victims for coming forward and said the case reflected the strength of the evidence collected by investigators.
Arab is due to be sentenced for all offences on June 19. The court has ordered a pre-sentence report to assess whether he poses a danger to the public, while the judge ruled that he remain in custody until sentencing.
Ministry of Information and Culture of Afghanistan says the National Archives digitized hundreds of historical documents, manuscripts and books during the 1404 solar year as part of efforts to preserve the country’s cultural and historical heritage.
According to the ministry, the National Archives digitized 741 books, 232 manuscripts, 358 decrees and one genealogy document over the past year.
The ministry also said that 830 books, 60 manuscripts and four decrees were restored and rebound during the same period.
In addition, 32 new manuscripts were handed over to the National Archives, further enriching the country’s collection of historical records.
Afghan officials have repeatedly stressed the importance of preserving historical documents and manuscripts, many of which date back several centuries and reflect the country’s rich cultural legacy.
Two people have been killed amid protests against a poppy eradication campaign in northeastern Badakhshan province, local officials said.
Authorities said counter-narcotics forces were deployed on Friday to Atan Jalo area of Argo district to destroy poppy fields. Clashes erupted after a number of farmers and residents reportedly attempted to block the operation.
Officials said a child was killed during Friday’s unrest, while another person died on Saturday as protests and tensions continued in the area.
According to local authorities, demonstrators also temporarily blocked the Kishm–Faizabad highway, disrupting traffic for several hours before it was reopened following coordinated efforts by security officials, religious scholars, and community elders.
Officials blamed “drug traffickers and criminal groups” for inciting the unrest and said security forces have since regained control of the area.
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