Russian chess icon associated to S-Sudan coup plan

(MENAFN) Former world chess champion and Russian dissident Garry Kasparov has been named in connection with an alleged coup attempt in South Sudan, according to a report by Bloomberg on Wednesday. The story centers on Peter Ajak, a Harvard fellow and South Sudanese activist living in exile, who is accused alongside Abraham Keech of conspiring to illegally ship weapons into the country. Both men have pleaded not guilty to US federal charges.

Bloomberg reports that Ajak hoped to acquire AK-47 rifles and Stinger missiles to overthrow South Sudan’s government but lacked funding. He allegedly received $7 million from Robert Granieri, a co-founder of the financial firm Jane Street, who claims he was misled into believing the funds were for human rights work.

Kasparov allegedly introduced Ajak to Granieri during his time as chairman of the Human Rights Foundation. While Kasparov did not confirm or deny his role in the introduction, he told Bloomberg via a spokesperson that his commitment to civil rights and democracy remains unwavering. Neither Kasparov nor Granieri has been charged in the case.

South Sudan, which endured a brutal civil war between 2013 and 2020, continues to face instability due to ongoing factional violence, widespread atrocities, and humanitarian crises.

Kasparov, widely hailed as one of the greatest chess players in history, has long been a controversial political commentator. He supported the US invasion of Iraq, criticized diplomatic engagement with Iran, and condemned the US withdrawal from Syria. In 2024, he penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed urging regime change in both Russia and Iran.

An outspoken critic of the Kremlin, Kasparov has lived in New York since 2013. In recent years, Russian authorities have designated him a “foreign agent” and later listed him as a “terrorist and extremist” due to his pro-Ukraine and anti-Putin stance.

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