Authorities from more than 30 countries issued a letter on February 20 calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to clarify the definition of “neutrality” in relation to Russian and Belarusian athletes, transmits Associated Press.
The letter was signed by officials from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France and Germany, whose teams at the Tokyo Games in 2021 accounted for almost a fifth of the total number of participants . In addition, officials from Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and other countries signed the appeal.
From the United States, the letter was signed by Assistant Secretary of State Lee Satterfield. “Russia has proven time and time again that it does not respect and is not able to respect the rules – in international sport and in international law,” she said, commenting on the call.
The letter, available to the agency, says the issue of “neutrality” is fundamental, and that there is currently a “significant lack of clarity and specific detail”. Until the IOC clarifies its position on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympics, they should not be allowed to participate in the competition, believe the authors of the appeal. According to them, the committee should present a “working model” of admission.
The signatories also express ‘serious concerns’ about the realism for Russian and Belarusian athletes to act as ‘neutrals’ if they are ‘directly funded and supported by their states’ – unlike, for example, tennis players professionals.
“The strong ties and loyalty between Russian athletes and the Russian military are also an obvious concern. So our collective approach has never been limited to discrimination solely on the basis of nationality, but these serious concerns should be waived by the IOC,” reads the text of the letter.
Its authors say the fastest way for Russia to resume its participation in the Olympics should be to stop the military operation in Ukraine.
The document addressed to the IOC was drafted following the results of the summit held on February 10 in London at the initiative of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy . He, speaking at the event, said Russian athletes “should have no place” at the Paris Olympics as long as hostilities continue.
The IOC, in turn, refers to the opinion of United Nations (UN) human rights experts, who believe that Russian and Belarusian athletes should not face “passport discrimination”. The Olympic Committee has made a preliminary decision that athletes from Russia and Belarus who did not support the military operation in Ukraine will be able to participate in the 2024 Games in Paris. It is proposed that they be allowed to compete in a neutral status, without the use of the countries’ state symbols.
After the start of the military operation, the IOC recommended to sports organizations not to allow Russians to participate in competitions, arguing for security reasons. At the beginning of 2023, the committee changed its position. Its president, Thomas Bach, said the IOC stands in solidarity with Ukrainian athletes, but at the same time considers it right to respect the rights of all athletes. “History will show who does more for the world – those who try to communicate or those who want to isolate or divide,” he said.
The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine, commenting on the statement, warned that Kiev would boycott the 2024 Games if Russian athletes were allowed to attend. Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, has accused the International Olympic Committee of corruption. The IOC called his statement a slander which “cannot serve as a basis for any constructive discussion”.
The European Parliament has called on the 27 states of the European Union to pressure the IOC to reconsider its decision, which “puts the international world of sport to shame”. At the same time, the committee itself strongly recommended that the coalition of countries not sign a joint declaration demanding that athletes from Russia and Belarus should not be allowed to participate in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
