IOC Human Rights Advisory Committee discussed the situation of Russian athletes

MOSCOW, March 20 – RIA Novosti. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Human Rights Advisory Board discussed the situation of Russian and Belarusian athletes with the UN Special Rapporteur, reported on the organization’s website.

The first meeting of the committee was held on 16 and 17 March. IOC President Thomas Bach attended. The Human Rights Advisory Committee listened to the opinion of the UN Special Rapporteur on cultural rights on the situation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the context of the situation in Ukraine.

There was also a discussion about the upcoming update of the Olympic Charter and work with the organizing committees of the 2024 Games in Paris and the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar. The IOC Advisory Committee also discussed specific issues regarding the rights of athletes within the Olympic Movement, including the situation in Iran and Afghanistan, as well as the role of National Olympic Committees and International Federations in the protection of human rights within their respective areas of responsibility.

On January 25, the IOC Executive Board called for the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions with neutral status, while proposing that athletes who actively support special operations in Ukraine should not be allowed. Later, UN human rights experts welcomed the IOC’s stance on the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions, and at the same time reported that they do not discriminate on the basis of nationality. According to UN experts, the condition of supporting a special operation in Ukraine creates opportunities for pressure and comment.