Olympics: UN experts back IOC on ‘neutral’ Russian athletes idea

GENEVA – Two United Nations (UN) rights experts on Wednesday commended the International Olympic Committee’s moves towards letting Russian athletes compete as neutrals, amid a growing row over their possible participation in the Paris 2024 Games.

And they urged the IOC to go further and lift the ban on those who actively support Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The special rapporteurs on cultural rights and on contemporary forms of racism, Alexandra Xanthaki and Ashwini K.P. respectively, applauded the IOC for considering allowing competitors from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports events as neutral athletes.

“We urge the IOC to adopt a decision in that direction and to go further, ensuring the non-discrimination of any athlete on the basis of their nationality,” they said in a statement.

These experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. They are independent, unpaid and do not speak on behalf of the UN.

From its territory and that of Belarus, Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb 24, three days after the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, in violation of the Olympic truce and charter.

The IOC duly imposed sporting sanctions on Moscow and Minsk. However, the IOC said last week it was examining a “pathway” for Russians to take part in the Paris Olympics, probably as neutral athletes rather than under their national flag.

Paris 2024 organisers insisted in a statement on Wednesday they would abide by the IOC’s decision on Russian and Belarusian athletes’ participation.

That IOC announcement sparked an immediate backlash from Kyiv. Ukraine has threatened to boycott the summer Games if Russians are allowed to compete. Latvia has since followed suit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said allowing Russia to compete at the 2024 Games would be tantamount to showing that “terror is somehow acceptable”.

But the UN experts said: “Athletes should not be discriminated against on the basis on their nationality. We understand the desire to support Ukrainian athletes and the Ukrainian Olympic community, who suffer terribly from the war...

“But the Olympic Committee and, more widely, the Olympic community, have also the compelling obligation to abide by the Olympic charter and, more widely, international human rights norms prohibiting discrimination.

“When states so flagrantly ignore human rights, we have a greater obligation to stand in support of our common values.”

No athlete should be required to take sides in the conflict, said the UN experts.

Referring to the IOC condition that only Russian and Belarusian athletes who have not actively supported the war in Ukraine could compete as neutrals, the experts urged the IOC to go further in aligning its stance with international human rights standards on non-discrimination.

“This condition opens the door to pressure and interpretation. The same rules must apply to all athletes, whatever their nationality,” they said.
AFP, REUTERS