John Bosnitch
Encyclopedia
John Bosnitch is a Canadian
journalist
, consultant and political activist of Serbian
descent. He's also Bureau Chief of The InterMedia Center News Agency located in Tokyo
, Japan
.
(March 9, 1943 – January 17, 2008) after Fischer was detained in Japan in 2004. The U.S. Bush Administration had told Japanese authorities that it had "revoked" Fischer's passport to try to bring him to trial in the United States for playing in a World Chess Championship rematch in Yugoslavia in 1992 in alleged violation of U.S. presidential sanctions against economic activity with Yugoslavia. Japanese immigration authorities then held Fischer in Tokyo's Narita Airport detention center for 16 days after refusing to let him leave the country due to an alleged passport violation, before transferring him to a long-term detention center pending deportation to the United States. Bosnitch set up the "Committee to Free Bobby Fischer" after visiting Fischer in the Narita Airport detention center. John Bosnitch argued for and won the right to participate as a friend of the court
before the Immigration Bureau tribunal charged with handling Fischer's deportation. Bosnitch filibustered for more than 24 hours through two deportation hearings and then worked to legally block the Japanese Immigration Bureau's efforts to deport Fischer to the United States, coordinating a 9-month legal and public relations 'Free Bobby Fischer' campaign until Fischer's eventual release. Fischer renounced his United States citizenship
and was, after receiving full Icelandic citizenship, allowed to leave for Iceland, instead of being deported to the US.
Shortly before Fischer's departure for Iceland, on March 23, 2005, Bosnitch and Fischer appeared on the BBC World Service
, via a voice link to Bosnitch's mobile telephone at the Tokyo airport. Bosnitch stated that Fischer would never play traditional chess again. Igor Stevanovic made a documentary film about chess legend Bobby Fischer through the eyes of his Serbian friends, chess opponents and acquaintances titled "Requiem for Bobby Fischer" (Opelo za Bobija Fisera, 2009) starring John Bosnitch.
John Bosnitch appears in the documentary "Me & Bobby Fischer" by Icelandic filmmaker Fridrik Gudmundsson, that focuses on the role played by a committee of Icelandic activists who joined the battle to save Bobby Fischer by fighting to gain sanctuary for him in Iceland. Bosnitch also appears in the trailer for the film.
The politico-economic documentary "The Weight of Chains
", by Canadian filmmaker Boris Malagurski
, features Bosnitch commenting as a journalist about the techniques used by the United States and various accomplices in breaking up and colonizing the former Yugoslavia
. Bosnitch is featured in the trailer for the film.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
journalist
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, consultant and political activist of Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
descent. He's also Bureau Chief of The InterMedia Center News Agency located in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Activism
John Bosnitch volunteered to help 11th World Chess Champion Bobby FischerBobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
(March 9, 1943 – January 17, 2008) after Fischer was detained in Japan in 2004. The U.S. Bush Administration had told Japanese authorities that it had "revoked" Fischer's passport to try to bring him to trial in the United States for playing in a World Chess Championship rematch in Yugoslavia in 1992 in alleged violation of U.S. presidential sanctions against economic activity with Yugoslavia. Japanese immigration authorities then held Fischer in Tokyo's Narita Airport detention center for 16 days after refusing to let him leave the country due to an alleged passport violation, before transferring him to a long-term detention center pending deportation to the United States. Bosnitch set up the "Committee to Free Bobby Fischer" after visiting Fischer in the Narita Airport detention center. John Bosnitch argued for and won the right to participate as a friend of the court
Amicus curiae
An amicus curiae is someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information to assist a court in deciding a matter before it...
before the Immigration Bureau tribunal charged with handling Fischer's deportation. Bosnitch filibustered for more than 24 hours through two deportation hearings and then worked to legally block the Japanese Immigration Bureau's efforts to deport Fischer to the United States, coordinating a 9-month legal and public relations 'Free Bobby Fischer' campaign until Fischer's eventual release. Fischer renounced his United States citizenship
United States nationality law
Article I, section 8, clause 4 of the United States Constitution expressly gives the United States Congress the power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization. The Immigration and Naturalization Act sets forth the legal requirements for the acquisition of, and divestiture from, citizenship of...
and was, after receiving full Icelandic citizenship, allowed to leave for Iceland, instead of being deported to the US.
Shortly before Fischer's departure for Iceland, on March 23, 2005, Bosnitch and Fischer appeared on the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
, via a voice link to Bosnitch's mobile telephone at the Tokyo airport. Bosnitch stated that Fischer would never play traditional chess again. Igor Stevanovic made a documentary film about chess legend Bobby Fischer through the eyes of his Serbian friends, chess opponents and acquaintances titled "Requiem for Bobby Fischer" (Opelo za Bobija Fisera, 2009) starring John Bosnitch.
John Bosnitch appears in the documentary "Me & Bobby Fischer" by Icelandic filmmaker Fridrik Gudmundsson, that focuses on the role played by a committee of Icelandic activists who joined the battle to save Bobby Fischer by fighting to gain sanctuary for him in Iceland. Bosnitch also appears in the trailer for the film.
The politico-economic documentary "The Weight of Chains
The Weight of Chains
The Weight of Chains is a 2010 Canadian documentary film directed by Boris Malagurski which analyzes the role that the United States, NATO and the EU played in the breakup of Yugoslavia. It was released on December 17, 2010.-Production:...
", by Canadian filmmaker Boris Malagurski
Boris Malagurski
Boris Malagurski is a Serbian-Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is the owner of the Malagurski Cinema production company, based in Vancouver, Canada.-Life and work:Born to Prof. Dr. Sc...
, features Bosnitch commenting as a journalist about the techniques used by the United States and various accomplices in breaking up and colonizing the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. Bosnitch is featured in the trailer for the film.