The Hindu : Sport / Chess : Iceland comes to Fischer's rescue

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Wednesday, Mar 23, 2005

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Iceland comes to Fischer's rescue

TOKYO, MARCH 22. After nearly nine months in a Japanese detention cell, chess legend Bobby Fischer appeared to have cleared the final hurdle on his way to freedom Tuesday — but Japan's government wasn't immediately conceding defeat.

In a major breakthrough for Fischer, who is being held for allegedly travelling on a revoked US passport, Iceland's Parliament on Monday granted the former world champion and notorious eccentric full citizenship, opening the way for him to leave Japan for that country.

Masako Suzuki, one of Fischer's lawyers, said she expected Fischer would be released within the week. ``Unless something very unexpected happens, that would be the natural course of events,'' she said.

Iceland is where Fischer won the world championship in 1972, defeating Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union in a classic Cold War showdown that propelled Fischer to international stardom.

Bolstered by the news, supporters visited Fischer at the immigration detention center where he remained in custody on the outskirts of Tokyo. Miyoko Watai, his longtime companion, said Fischer was `very happy' after hearing the news.

Japanese Justice Minister Chieko Nono told reporters that if Fischer has been granted Icelandic citizenship, it would be ``legally possible to deport him to that country.''

``We will consider (the possibility) and make an appropriate decision,'' she said on TV Tokyo.

It wasn't immediately clear if going to Iceland would help Fischer avoid extradition to the United States if he is charged. The two countries have an extradition treaty.

Though a recluse over the past decade, Fischer has emerged from silence in radio broadcasts and on his Web page to express anti-Semitic views and rail against the United States.

His supporters say he is being hounded because of his strongly anti-U.S. government views.

``As he did when he won the world chess championship in 1972, Bobby has shown that individual freedom will always win,'' Bosnitch said earlier in a statement. — AP

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