Gianni Infantino presented the FIFA Peace Prize to Donald Trump last Friday. EPA / AOP
A complaint has been filed with the FIFA ethics committee. It is backed by the non-profit organization Fairsquare.
At the same time, the organization that investigates the rights of guest workers, political oppression and sports grievances filed a request for an investigation into the president of Fifa About Gianni Infantino.
The matter was reported by the New York Times-owned company The Athletic. In the eight-page complaint letter, Fairsquare highlights four cases in which, according to the organization, Infantino has violated Fifa’s impartiality obligation.
The first of them involves Infantino’s public lobbying for Trump’s Nobel Prize. Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize, but received the FIFA Peace Prize in connection with the World Cup group draw held in December.
Fairsquare filed a request for an investigation on that issue as well.
The second point was related to the American Business Forum, which was organized in Miami in November. According to Fairsquare, Infantino violated the duty of impartiality when he defended Trump’s presidency at the same event.
The third point was related to the aforementioned WC group draw. The event featured a video that, according to the complaint, “repeated Trump’s and the White House’s claims about ending numerous wars.”
The last point of appeal dealt with what Infantino published Instagram videoin which the Fifa boss thanked Trump for the invitation to Washington during the inauguration.
Fairsquare says in the letter that it understands that Fifa and the US administration are working together for next summer’s World Cup. However, the organization points out that Infantino must be neutral because of his position, and he cannot be Trump’s advocate in US domestic and foreign policy matters.
The Human Rights Watch organization has also requested an explanation of the process of awarding the FIFA Peace Prize.