MOSCOW (Reuters) - The chief investigator examining allegations of wrongdoing in soccer including the bidding process for the 2018 World Cup in Russia is one of 18 people on a list of Americans barred from entering Russia over what Moscow says are human rights abuses.
Michael Garcia, a former U.S. federal prosecutor who now works for soccer's world governing body, FIFA, is on the blacklist published by Russia's Foreign Ministry on Saturday after Washington named 18 Russians barred from entering the United States for alleged rights abuses. ...
See the whole story here, courtesy of Reuters.
Kicking Back Comments: In reading this article it would seem that this is a "tit for tat" move by the Russians as once the US named (18) individuals who were barred from entry for rights abuses, Russia did the same and named (18) to a similar list not allowed entry into Russia for rights abuses.
Garcia's ban would seem to stem from his successful prosecution of an arms dealer (Viktor Bout) who is currently being held in the US on a 25 year term.
That aside (and it is a big aside mind you) I don't know if Russia wants to not allow FIFA's current chief investigator into the country. World Cup 2018 may be on the line for them.
Then again ... maybe that's exactly what they want to do.
Stay tuned as politics reigns supreme once again.
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