IOC investigating athlete claims of reprisals in Belarus

IOC is investigating claims from Belarusian athletes who say y face reprisals for protesting disputed re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarus has been in turmoil amid protests and a crackdown by security forces since August when its authoritarian leer Lukashenko won a sixth presidential term.

election is widely seen as rigged in favor of Lukashenko, who has also been president of Belarus Olympic Committee for 23 years.

Thomas Bach, president of International Olympic Committee, said Wednesday it received complaints from athletes alleging “undue politically motivated pressure exerted” by Belarusian sports officials.

“We are very concerned about information we are getting,” Bach said at Olympic hequarters in Lausanne after an executive board meeting.

National Olympic teams can be barred from a Summer Games or Winter Games in cases of discrimination.

“In case of an infringement on Olympic Charter n IOC will take actions and sanctions provided for,” Bach said. “We will continue and strengn our investigation to determine wher (Belarus Olympic Committee) has fulfilled and is fulfilling obligations towards its athletes as per Olympic Charter.”

IOC will investigate if money it sent to Belarus has reached athletes intended to receive scholarship funds to help prepare for Tokyo Olympics next year and 2022 Beijing Winter Games.

“And that this is happening without any kind of discrimination,” said Bach, who cited assurances sought and received from Belarus in recent weeks.

IOC wants promises upheld “despite any views that y (athletes) might have expressed or that y may express during se difficult times in Belarus,” its president said.

World Players Association, a Switzerland-based union, said reprisals against athletes in Belarus include arrests, threats and dismissals from jobs.

“ IOC must join with se courous and principled Belarusian athletes in actions and t just words to ensure that human rights and sport are protected,” union’s executive director, Brendan Schwab, said in a statement.

Schwab ted that Belarus OIympic body “is under direct authority of IOC.”

Lukashenko was unable to attend 2012 Olympics in London because of a European Union visa ban after a previous crackdown that followed a disputed election.

Bach said a similar travel restriction to Japan for Tokyo Olympics was “something for governments to decide.”

Im credits: AP

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