MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th December, 2020) The disciplinary committee of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the sport's global governing body, has launched an investigation into Dmitry Baskov, the head of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation, the opposition-linked Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation said on Sunday.
"The Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation has received a response from the IIHF to a letter concerning the postponement of the 2021 Ice Hockey World Championship. Both parties will hold a working meeting after January 4. The letter from the IIHF also confirms that the governing body's disciplinary committee has begun an investigation into the chairman of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation, Dmitry Baskov," the opposition-linked body said in a Facebook post.
Telegram channels linked to the Belarusian opposition have claimed that a man similar in appearance to Baskov was near the site of the fracas that eventually led to the arrest of opposition activist Roman Bondarenko, who died in police custody back in November.
Baskov has denied any involvement in the incident that led to Bondarenko's arrest and subsequent death.
Belarus is set to co-host the 2021 IIHF World Championship with Latvia this coming May and June. Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said this past summer that Riga sees no opportunity for the tournament to be co-hosted with Minsk amid the widespread opposition protests that followed the August 9 Belarusian presidential election.
