At the same time, the Committee notes that the decision on the admission of Russians and Belarusians to perform under a neutral flag has not been made.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated that a complete ban on the performance of Russian and Belarusian athletes is discrimination and contrary to the Olympic Charter.
“Two Special Rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council said that the UN experts expressed their gratitude to the IOC for considering the issue of allowing individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports competitions as neutral athletes. The speakers called on the IOC to make a positive decision.
“The experts said they understand the desire to support Ukrainian athletes and the Ukrainian Olympic community, who are suffering terribly from the war, along with all other Ukrainians. But the Olympic Committee is also bound by the Olympic Charter and international human rights law that prohibits discrimination. When states so blatantly ignore human rights, we have a greater obligation to uphold our shared values.”
“The UN resolution recognizes that any form of discrimination is incompatible with the Olympic Movement. This resolution was adopted by consensus of all UN member states, including the governments of Ukraine and Russia.”
“It is natural that voices of dissent are heard, mainly from countries neighboring Ukraine, given their specific situation. But the IOC study has overwhelming support from international federations, including all five continental associations, as well as the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), which represents all 206 National Olympic Committees.
There was an example of South Africa’s expulsion from the IOC in the 1970s. The decision was based on UN sanctions. Apartheid was also practiced in South African sports. These UN sanctions extended to all spheres of life. The IOC followed the UN with this decision. At the moment, there are no UN sanctions against Russia and Belarus.”
“It is premature to talk about the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Olympics in Paris. A decision on their participation has not yet been made. We are talking about their participation in international competitions in Asia in the upcoming summer sports season.”
The IOC is ready to consider the possibility of admitting athletes from Russia and Belarus to international competitions. At the same time, everyone who wishes will be required to act in a neutral status. Also, athletes should not support the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and pass a mandatory doping test.
The Olympic Summit, chaired by IOC President Thomas Bach, unanimously agreed to accept an initiative proposed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in its competitions.
The NOC of Ukraine will hold an online conference on February 3. During the meeting, the issue of a possible boycott by Ukraine of the 2024 Olympic Games will be discussed, to which representatives of the Russian Federation and Belarus under a neutral flag may be admitted.
Ex-world heavyweight champion Volodymyr Klitschko, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling and Verkhovna Rada deputy Jean Beleniuk, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba, Minister of Sports criticized the IOC and the head of the organization Thomas Bach Poland Kamil Bortnichuk.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
