AFRINIC
Did ICANN’s lawyer illegally visit AFRINIC when the Official Receiver was away?
A mystery visit by ICANN’s lawyer to AFRINIC raises legal questions amid court-appointed receivership and ongoing governance crisis.
Headline
A mystery visit by ICANN’s lawyer to AFRINIC raises legal questions amid court-appointed receivership and ongoing governance crisis.
Context
On January 11, 2025, a lawyer named Dooshyant Jhurry from the Mauritian firm Legis And Partners, representing ICANN, visited the AFRINIC building, the internet registry for Africa, to retrieve a document. We don’t know what that document was nor why he needed to retrieve it on a Saturday morning. We do know that the Official Receiver for AFRINIC, Gowtamsingh Dabee , who was charged with supervising AFRINIC’s election arrangements, and acting as a stand-in executive until a board and CEO could be reconvened, was absent, on vacation.
Evidence
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Analysis
We also know that performing these kinds of legal activities, on a weekend, without informing the Receiver and while he is not in the country, is at the very least improper, and at worst an unlawful attempt to sidestep due process. Why would ICANN’s lawyer in Mauritius do this? What was in that document? Why try to retrieve it behind the Official Receiver’s back? ICANN told BTW Media: “ICANN has been clear and transparent about the fact that it offered the Official Receiver neutral and independent assistance upon his request and within his role. The statement that our external counsel called at AFRINIC’s premises on 11 January 2025 to retrieve a document is categorically false and erroneous. He did not visit AFRINIC’s premises on that date.” Also read: Cloud Innovation supports ICANN’s move to derecognise AFRINIC, calls for successor to be immediately identified
Key Points
- Video and sign-in records suggest ICANN’s lawyer entered AFRINIC premises without the Official Receiver’s knowledge during a weekend absence.
- Such an act may breach Mauritian law and AFRINIC’s governance rules, raising serious concerns about oversight and legal propriety.
Actions
Pending intelligence enrichment.
