CAS confirms FIFA's life ban imposed on Keramuddin Karim

In a press release today, The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued its decision in the arbitration procedure between former President of the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF), Keramuddin Karim, and FIFA. The CAS Panel dismissed Karim's appeal and confirmed the decision issued by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee that concluded Karim was guilty of breaching art. 23, Protection of physical and mental integrity, and art. 25, abuse of position, of the FIFA Code of Ethics. FIFA sanctioned him with a life ban from all football-related activities at both national and international level, and ordered him to pay a fine of CHF 1 million.

The FIFA Ethics Committee decision was issued on badis of complaints lodged by female Afghan football players accusing him of sexual abuse in the period 2013 – 2018. At the CAS hearing, players of the AFF women’s national team witnessed, and stated that they had been sexually and physically abused by Karim. The CAS Panel underlined that the offenses committed by Karim violated basic human rights and damaged the mental and physical dignity and integrity of young female players. With his appalling acts, he had destroyed not only their careers, but severely damaged their lives. The Panel determined that Keramuddin Karim should get the most severe sanction possible available under the FIFA Code of Ethics, i.e. a life ban and a fine of CHF 1 million.