FIFA welcomes CAS decision to uphold life ban on former Afghan soccer president

FILE PHOTO: Cars drive past a logo in front of FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland June 8, 2016. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

(Reuters) – FIFA has welcomed a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejecting an appeal against the life ban imposed on the former president of the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF).

Keramuudin Karim was banned from soccer for life last June and fined 1 million Swiss francs ($1.07 million) after FIFA’s ethics committee found him guilty of abusing his position and sexually abusing female players between 2013-18.

CAS on Tuesday confirmed the decision taken by FIFA and said that Karim’s offences violated basic human rights and damaged the mental and physical integrity of young female players, destroying their careers and lives.

“In a case of unprecedented gravity, CAS has confirmed the importance of FIFA’s zero tolerance policy against physical, mental and sexual abuses at all levels of football, as well as the adequacy of the strongest sanctions in such cases,” FIFA said in a statement here on Tuesday.

“FIFA commends the bravery of those victims who, under dreadful personal circumstances in their home country, have come forward and allowed for justice to be served.

“We trust that their example will encourage other victims and survivors of such terrible circumstances to report them in the future, knowing that they can count on FIFA’s support at all times.”