Iraq Olympic Committee strips Khalid Kabian of all sports roles after court ruling

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi Olympic Committee removed Khalid Abdulwahid Kabian from all sports positions during a meeting on Tuesday, following a finalized court verdict that sentenced him to one year in prison a month earlier. The decision came after the committee's executive board reviewed his legal status. Kabian had served as president of the Iraqi Swimming Federation, chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces Sports Club board, and a member of the Iraqi National Olympic Committee's general assembly. The committee said the ruling obligates the swimming federation to begin the legal procedures needed to terminate his membership and presidency. Citing Article 9, Paragraph 2 of National Sports Federations Law No. 9 of 2021, the committee said Kabian lost the conditions required for executive board membership as of the date the verdict became final and can no longer exercise any administrative, financial or representative authority on behalf of the federation. The committee gave the swimming federation seven days to issue a written notification, warning that legal and administrative penalties would otherwise be applied. His chairmanship and membership of the Popular Mobilization Forces Sports Club were also terminated under the 1986 Sports Clubs Law. The Kirkuk Criminal Court convicted Kabian in June of damaging public property while serving as an advisor to a former prime minister and sentenced him to one year in prison.