02:50Russia: 'Obvious discrimination' - Head of Russian Olympic Committee Pozdnyakov on IOC’s 'neutral status' for athletes
President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Stanislav Pozdnyakov called the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) criteria for a return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international sports competitions as neutrals an "obvious discrimination", in Moscow on Tuesday.
"[It is] a violation of basic human and civil rights, which has been repeatedly pointed out by international humanitarian experts, including United Nations human rights experts, over the past few months," Pozdnyakov stated while speaking to the press.
He also noted that "the current parameters of admission will in no way facilitate the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competition".
Pozdnyakov called the IOC's decision a 'farce', adding that "basic principles of the Olympic Charter and the UN Charter are being flagrantly violated."
Earlier that day, IOC President Thomas Bach announced the committee's decision to enable Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete internationally under a neutral status. The recommendations included a ban on the use of national flags and an inability to participate in team sports, as well as the exclusion of athletes and staff supporting Russia's military offensive in Ukraine.
According to Bach, the listed conditions do not apply to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and support personnel at the 2024 Summer Olympics and the 2026 Winter Olympics. A separate decision will be made in this regard without reference to the results of previous Olympic competitions.
On 25 January, the International Olympic Committee called on the sports federations to consider allowing Russian athletes to participate in international tournaments as neutrals.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
02:50President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Stanislav Pozdnyakov called the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) criteria for a return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international sports competitions as neutrals an "obvious discrimination", in Moscow on Tuesday.
"[It is] a violation of basic human and civil rights, which has been repeatedly pointed out by international humanitarian experts, including United Nations human rights experts, over the past few months," Pozdnyakov stated while speaking to the press.
He also noted that "the current parameters of admission will in no way facilitate the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competition".
Pozdnyakov called the IOC's decision a 'farce', adding that "basic principles of the Olympic Charter and the UN Charter are being flagrantly violated."
Earlier that day, IOC President Thomas Bach announced the committee's decision to enable Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete internationally under a neutral status. The recommendations included a ban on the use of national flags and an inability to participate in team sports, as well as the exclusion of athletes and staff supporting Russia's military offensive in Ukraine.
According to Bach, the listed conditions do not apply to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and support personnel at the 2024 Summer Olympics and the 2026 Winter Olympics. A separate decision will be made in this regard without reference to the results of previous Olympic competitions.
On 25 January, the International Olympic Committee called on the sports federations to consider allowing Russian athletes to participate in international tournaments as neutrals.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.