European lawmakers urge for Olympics ban on Russia, Belarus
European lawmakers have urged the International Olympic Committee to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Paris Games because of the war in Ukraine
GENEVA (AP) — European lawmakers urged the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Paris Games rather than keep seeking ways to let them compete as neutrals in international sport.
The 46-nation Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) held a two-hour session in Strasbourg, France, of its panel for sports issues. It was to help draft a future report on the question of barring the two countries’ athletes and officials from the Olympic movement because of the military invasion of Ukraine.
With 15 months until the opening ceremony in Paris, Olympic sports bodies are weighing the IOC’s formal request — a reversal of its advice last year for exclusion — to look at reintegrating some Russians and Belarusians into games qualifying as individuals, but not in team events.
“Imposing a war has to have a clear consequence. Sport also has to take its responsibility,” Danish lawmaker Mogens Jensen said, adding the “only one clear message to send” was excluding athletes.
