The participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 will be “an insult to Ukrainian athletes,” the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Theodoros Roussopoulos, said this Wednesday.
“I regret that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to ignore our call,” Roussopoulos said, leaving one question: “The principles of Olympism are by definition contrary to war. Therefore, athletes from a country that invades another should participate in the Olympic Games ?
The Greek recalled that the assembly he heads adopted a resolution last June arguing that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be banned from participating in the Olympic Games following the armed invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“Their participation in the Games would be an insult to Ukrainian athletes, including many who died because of the war, and most of them were unable to train properly due to the destruction of the sports infrastructure,” he said.
Last December, the IOC allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics under a neutral flag and on the condition that they do not actively support the invasion of Ukraine.
On Monday, the same body said that Russian and Belarusian athletes allowed to participate in Paris 2024 as neutral individual athletes will not be able to participate in the opening ceremony.
Created in 1949 to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law, the Council of Europe currently has 46 member states, 27 of which are also members of the EU.