Former world chess champion Bobby Fischer is expected to walk out of a Japanese immigration centre on Thursday to begin a new life in Iceland, bringing to an end nine months of detention during which Washington has sought to extradite him to face charges of sanctions-busting.
The Japanese justice ministry’s decision to deport the grandmaster to Iceland, rather than to the United States to face allegations that he violated United Nations sanctions against the former Yugoslavia, came two days after the Icelandic Parliament granted him citizenship.
Legally, Japan can deport people to their county of origin or wherever they hold citizenship — in Fischer’s case the US or Iceland.
The ministry reportedly informed the chess player’s supporters in Tokyo that Fischer will be released on Thursday and will fly out of Narita airport, the scene of his arrest, a few hours later. It was not clear whether he will be escorted to the airport by immigration officials.
The move seems certain to dismay the US, which this week repeated demands that he should be handed over.
Fischer (62) allegedly violated UN sanctions by playing in an exhibition match in Sarajevo in 1992 against his long-time rival Boris Spassky, whom he had beaten 20 years earlier to become world champion. The victory earned Fischer a reported $3-million — and the attention of the US government.
Iceland paved the way for Fischer’s release on Monday when it voted to grant him citizenship. Though widely reviled for his frequent anti-Semitic outbursts and his description of the September 11 attacks as ”wonderful news”, Fischer is still held in high regard among the Icelandic people.
It was in Iceland, in 1972, that he beat Spassky, the then Soviet grandmaster, to become world champion in a match that was regarded as a clash between the Cold War superpowers.
Fischer was arrested last July while trying to board a plane to the Philippines from Japan without a valid passport. He insisted the passport had been illegally revoked and has been fighting attempts to deport him to the US ever since.
He has tried to seek political asylum and to renounce his US citizenship, and announced plans to marry Miyoko Watai, head of the Japanese Chess Association, with whom he had been living in Japan.
Iceland is a close US ally, and as the only non-armed member of Nato depends on Washington for its defence. Reykjavik’s actions won praise from Fischer’s supporters.
”Very few countries would have the courage to do what Iceland has done,” said John Bosnitch, head of the Committee to Free Bobby Fischer.
On Tuesday, the US said it has again asked Japan to hand Fischer over.
”That’s what we have asked for,” said Adam Ereli, a spokesperson for the State Department. ”Mr Fischer is a fugitive from justice. There is a federal warrant for his arrest. He’s been detained in Japan awaiting deportation and that’s the step that we’re looking forward to.”
Fischer, meanwhile, says he will launch a $200-million civil suit against the US government for wrongful imprisonment and emotional harm.
When he emerges from the immigration centre just north of Tokyo, he will look very different from when he arrived there last summer. During his detention, he has suffered from ill health, and there have been reports of frequent confrontations with immigration centre guards.
Watai said: ”He has lost so much weight and has aged very quickly. I think you will all be very surprised when you see him.”
She said she intends to fly to Iceland with him.
But Fischer’s ordeal may not be over as Iceland, like Japan, has an extradition treaty with Washington. US officials are also investigating allegations of tax evasion against him. — Guardian Unlimited Â