A refugee from the US injustice system since 1992, former chess champion Bobby Fischer is to be offered Icelandic citizenship in a bid to avoid political persecution in the US. He has been under arrest in Japan since July 2004 and fighting extradition to the US where he is wanted for the the high crime of playing chess in Yugoslavia in violation of US executive order #12810. In 2003 his passport was revoked and the charges against him in Japan were for using a revoked passport. Japan has an extradition treaty with the US and had continued to detain him while the US sought extradition.

Chess fans in Iceland, where Fischer won the world title in 1972, offered him a home late last year and lobbied for a special passport for him to go there. Having Icelandic citizenship will make it harder for the US to obtain Fischer but since Iceland has an extradition treaty with the US it may not be able to keep him forever.

“He put Iceland on the map, and we don’t forget our friends,” said Jokulsson, who has campaigned on Fischer’s behalf.

Fischer’s ascent to the top of the chess world was a dramatic one. He won the U.S. Junior Championship at the age of 13, and by 1958 he had became U.S. Champion and grandmaster. In 1972 he challenged Boris Spassky for the world championship in what was billed as the world championship match in Reykjavík, Iceland. Fischer became the first American world champion. His victory created a nationwide sensation about chess. After winning the championship he dropped from sight and didn’t play chess again until the match in Yugoslavia in 1992.

Scientist Russell Targ who was previously married to Bobby Fischer’s late sister, but has not spoken to him in over ten-years, has stated publicly “What Bobby’s accused of is playing chess 12 years ago in Yugoslavia, It looks like it’s a distraction from the war and the economy. Let’s arrest Bobby Fischer. That will take people’s minds off their troubles. Prosecuting Bobby right now is ridiculous. He’s a political prisoner now.”

Revoking Fischer’s passport was an unusual move, given that more than 12 years had passed since his ‘crime of chess’ in 1992 and the statute of limitations had long run out. Going after Fischer was more likely a political move instigated by Israel which has near total control on Washington and the loyal obediance of the Bush crime family. Always outspoken and perhaps a bit egotistical, Fischer had spoken out against the US and Israel during radio interviews in Hungary and the Philippines.

For more info. visit Fischer’s website at: http://home.att.ne.jp/moon/fischer/