Title: "Neutral" Russia Olympic athletes cheered on Ukraine war: rights group"
Date: March 1, 2022
Moscow: A human rights group has accused Russian Olympic athletes who competed under the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) "neutral" flag at the Beijing Winter Games of publicly expressing support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The allegations were made by the Russian LGBTQ+ organization, Coming Out, which said it had monitored the social media accounts of several Russian athletes who participated in the Games, which took place from February 4 to 20.
According to the group, several athletes, including figure skaters, biathletes, and cross-country skiers, had posted messages on social media expressing solidarity with Russia’s military action in Ukraine.
"Despite the IOC’s efforts to distance itself from the conflict, many Russian athletes have shown their support for the war on social media," said Igor Kochetkov, the head of Coming Out. "This is a clear violation of the Olympic Charter’s principles of neutrality and respect for human rights."
The IOC had allowed Russian athletes to compete under the Olympic flag, rather than the Russian flag, due to a doping ban imposed on the Russian Olympic Committee.
However, the move was widely criticized by human rights groups and Ukrainian officials, who accused the IOC of coddling Russia’s authoritarian regime.
The allegations of athlete support for the war come as the international community continues to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has resulted in thousands of casualties and widespread destruction.
The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops, while the European Union and the United States have imposed severe economic sanctions on Russia.
Coming Out’s allegations have sparked a heated debate about the role of sports in international politics and the responsibility of athletes to promote peace and human rights.
"The Olympic Games are meant to be a celebration of human achievement and international unity, not a platform for promoting war and violence," said Kochetkov. "We urge the IOC to take immediate action to address this issue and ensure that all athletes, regardless of their nationality, respect the principles of the Olympic Charter."
The IOC has yet to comment on the allegations, but Coming Out has called for an investigation into the matter and for the IOC to take disciplinary action against any athletes found to have violated the Olympic Charter.
As the world continues to grapple with the devastating consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the role of sports in promoting peace and human rights has never been more important.