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]

Gafur Rakhimov
Born
G'ofur-Arslonbek Ahmedovich Rahimov

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

Biography edit

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]

References edit

  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).{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  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.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  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.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  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
  Mohamed Moustahsane
(Interim President)