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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
John Dingwall

Rangers' Glen Kamara and his lawyer sent death threats and sick racist abuse by Slavia Prague fans

Rangers star Glen Kamara and his lawyer Aamer Anwar have been bombarded with death threats and racist attacks from Slavia Prague fans.

Anwar, 53, showed the Daily Record hundreds of vile racist messages sent to him and the player, who was racially abused by Slavia’s Ondrej Kudela.

The abuse came after UEFA banned Kudela for 10 matches for calling Kamara a “f***ing monkey” during last month’s Europa League tie at Ibrox.

Aamer Anwar is Glen Kamara's lawyer (Robert Perry/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Messages to the lawyer on Twitter include threats that his house will be burned down with his family inside and taunts about race and religion.

Anwar said: “The non-stop tirade has been every minute over the last few days. It’s constant and almost feels like somebody is standing in front of me, shouting in my face screaming and punching me minute by minute and hour by hour.

“I can’t just ignore it because I am having to go through material and delete abuse against my family including my mother and father in case they see it.

“When people are saying they are going to hunt you down and set fire to your house with your family in it, that is incitement and threats of violence.”

Anwar says he is used to receiving threats, having campaigned on behalf of the families of murder victim Surjit Singh Chhokar and Fife dad Sheku Bayoh, who died while being restrained by police.

One Slavia Prague fan writes 'football is only for white people' (Handout)

He added: “I feel like I have spent a ­lifetime having to look over my shoulder and I’ve learned to become used to it.

"But I don’t see why I should have to.

“It’s just a snapshot of what Glen Kamara got.

Vile abuse was directed at Aamer Anwar (Handout)

"He is a footballer who is doing his job, as are other black footballers who are just trying to get on with their lives.

"And the bile they receive is just constant.”

Anwar, former rector of Glasgow ­University, revealed the abuse increased after the office of the Czech president issued a “far right” statement in defence of Kudela.

Aamer Anwar has spoken out on the vile comments he's received online (Internet Unknown)

A spokesman for the president said the ban on Kudela was “perverted” and driven by a “small group of activists”.

Kamara received a three-match ban for his reaction to Kudela’s sickening attack.

Anwar said: “The vast majority of it is coming from the Czech Republic and when the Czech president put out that racist far-right diatribe, it incited hate. It added fuel to the fire.”

Ondrej Kudela whispers in the ear of Glen Kamara (Daily Record video grab)

Anwar has reported the threats to Police Scotland but believes they will be powerless to do anything due to the hate crimes being committed abroad – despite many of his abusers not bothering to hide their identity.

He said: “I almost feel like I’m done, like I’m a walking target all the time.

“It’s tiring, debilitating. It makes you miserable. It impacts on your mental health.

Rangers star Glen Kamara was racially abused by Slavia’s Ondrej Kudela (SNS)

"You feel like you’re walking around with a cloud constantly over you.

“You don’t want to look at your phone and you can’t switch on your computer because you are waiting for that next attack or that next abuse.

"I’ve sent material over the police and I’m going to phone them but I’m conscious that the vast majority is from the Czech Republic.

“With the racist, far-right diatribe from the head office of the Czech president, I doubt if the police over there are going to do much about it.”

Anwar claims he has had no help from the social media platforms on which the bile has been posted.

He added: “Shockingly, I’ve reported this stuff and not one of the platforms has got back in touch with me.

“They seem to be able to instantly respond to copyright issues if you include a song and they shut it down.

“I’ve had situations in the past where I posted about police violence when somebody has been killed and they shut it down.

“But when it comes to the other side it seems to be a free-for-all.”

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