While the IOC recommended the return of Russians and Belarusians to international competitions on Tuesday, Patricia Wiater hopes that their return “will guarantee respect for the human rights of Ukrainian athletes”.
Two days after the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reinstate Russian and Belarusian athletes, the reactions continue to flow. Patricia Wiater, professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and specialist in human rights, deplored Thursday, March 30 during a press conference, that the rights of Ukrainian athletes are ignored.
“The question is whether the proposed readmission conditions are sufficient to guarantee respect for the human rights of Ukrainian athletes. Are they proportionate and are they sufficient to prevent (that) sporting events are not used for war propaganda purposes?“, she added during this conference in which sportsmen, Ukrainians and other nationalities, also participated. “Unfortunately, this was not addressed either in the IOC statement or by the Special Rapporteur (on Cultural Rights, Alexandra Xanthaki), while this is very important when considering the question of readmission“, concluded Patricia Wiater, at the origin of theOpinion of the German Olympic Committee in favor of banning Russian and Belarusian athletes (article in German).
Insufficient conditions set by the IOC
“Here we are talking about life and not just about competition”declared the German fencer Lea Krüger, during this press conference, judging “insufficient” the conditions laid down by the IOC. Ukraine’s Olga Kharlan – who won Olympic team saber gold in 2008 – said it would be “unbelievable” if Russians could be at the Games, but not Ukrainian athletes: “We must do everything possible so that Russians and Belarusians cannot participate because of their actions and propaganda. For me, as an athlete, of course, I would love to go. However, as a Ukrainian citizen, it is hard to imagine sitting next to them, knowing that they support the war or that they remain silent. Some of them represent the army that bombs Ukraine every day.“
The IOC Executive Board on Tuesday recommended the reinstatement of Russians and Belarusians in international sports competitions, under a neutral banner and “in an individual capacity”, provided they have not actively supported the war in Ukraine. The International Fencing Federation (FIE) was the first to authorize the return of Russian and Belarusian fencers, provoking a reaction from more than 300 of its athletes, opposed to this decision.
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