AFC Appeal Committee decision in Persepolis/Alkasir case upheld by CAS

On October 3, 2020, the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee found that the Persepolis player, Mr Isa Alkasir, had violated Article 58.1 of the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code (2019 Edition) as a result of using a discriminatory gesture during the AFC Champions League (West) game against Pakhtakor on September 30, 2020 in Doha, Qatar, and banned him from taking part in any kind of football-related activity for six months, while also ordering him to pay a fine of USD10,000.

Subsequently, the AFC Appeal Committee dismissed Persepolis FC’s appeal against the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee’s decision.

CAS has now upheld the AFC Appeal Committee’s decision, meaning that Mr Isa Alkasir must serve the full term of his suspension and pay the full amount of the fine.

Article 58.1 of the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code states that anyone who offends the dignity of a person or group of persons through contemptuous, discriminatory or denigratory words or actions concerning race, skin colour, gender, disability, language, age, physical appearance, religion, political opinion, wealth, birth or any other status, sexual orientation, or ethnic, national, or social origin has committed an offence.

Pursuant to Article 3 of the AFC Statutes, it is a fundamental principle of the AFC that discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or group of people on account of race, skin colour, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, disability, language, age, physical appearance, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, wealth, birth or any other status, sexual orientation or any other reason is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.