PACE President opposes participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes at Olympics in Paris

Theodoros Roussopoulos, President of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, is opposed to Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in the Olympic Games in Paris in the summer of 2024, even if they participate in neutral status. 

Source: statement of the President of PACE, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "Any victory by these athletes, even under a neutral flag, could be celebrated – and used – as a tool for propaganda, creating a narrative of acceptance and normalisation that downplays the gravity of the actions of the Russian and Belarusian Governments," Roussopoulos said.

He recalled that in 2023, PACE adopted a resolution opposing Russian and Belarussian athletes' participation in the Olympic Games in Paris.

"Why? Because their participation would be an insult to Ukrainian athletes, several of whom have died because of the war, and the majority of whom are not able to train properly, because of the destruction of sport infrastructure," Roussopoulos explained.

He expressed regret that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not respond to the PACE call, but he also urged the IOC to strictly apply the criteria established to allow athletes from the Russian Federation to participate in the Olympics, as well as to ensure that any participation by Russian and Belarusian citizens is not used as a propaganda tool.

The PACE President stated that this is currently the best way to contribute to the achievement of worthy goals of peace and equality, which the Olympic movement has embodied for millennia.

"...can we condemn Russia for bombing Ukrainian civilians, kidnapping children, torturing prisoners, carrying out massacres - and then applaud its athletes? Knowing that many of these athletes are actually engaged in the Russian army, and the vast majority of them receive State salaries? Is this the spirit of Olympism?", he asked rhetorically.  

Previously, the Latvian Seimas adopted amendments to the Law on Sports in final reading, stating that national teams will be prohibited from playing against national teams from Russia or Belarus if they compete under their own flag or in neutral status.

The Baltic countries stood against allowing Russian and Belarusian citizens to attend the Olympics at all.

And the Lithuanian government is looking into how to remove Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions entirely.

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