Experts Condemn “Cowardice” of International Olympic Committee Allowing 31 Rule-breaking Russians and Belarusians to Compete Alongside Ukrainians and Call for Four Medals to be Stripped
News highlights:
- International human rights foundation calls for four pro-war Russian and Belarusian Olympic medallists to be stripped of their Olympic medals
- International Olympic Committee aware of evidence showing pro-war stances but refused to act
- 31 Russian and Belarusian athletes allowed to compete in Olympics despite violating Ukraine war neutrality rules
- 2/3 of competing Russians and over 1/3 Belarusian Olympians broke rules, evidence shows
- Athletes were cleared to compete despite a dedicated IOC committee set up to assess eligibility
- Evidence of rule-breaking includes athletes supporting Ukraine war on social media, participating in pro-war tournaments and being members of military-linked institutions
- Rights experts: this evidence was tip of the iceberg – many athletes ‘scrubbed’ social media before Games
- Olympics’ corporate partners also refused to act ahead of tournament, despite being notified of information – including AB InBev, Airbnb, Coca Cola, VISA, Deloitte, Panasonic, and others
- Foundation sends warning to International Olympic Committee – “All eyes will be on Milano-Cortina”
Today, international human rights experts have condemned the ‘cowardice’ of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by allowing pro-war Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics, despite receiving evidence of clear Ukraine war neutrality rule violations before the Games began. As the Olympics concludes, the experts are now calling on the IOC to strip four pro-war Olympians of their medals.
Evidence released publicly on 18 July 2024 by international human rights foundation, Global Rights Compliance, showed that two thirds (10 of 15) of Russian athletes competing at the Games as ‘Individual Neutral Athletes’ (AINs) had violated the IOC’s own ‘Principles of Participation’, in addition to over one third (7 of 16) of competing Belarusian athletes.
The IOC’s Principles prohibit AINs from supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including in the media and on social media, or being contracted to Russian and Belarusian military or security agencies. Despite being presented with clear evidence of violations of these rules – including four written warnings from Global Rights Compliance dating back to 29 May 2024 – the IOC failed to act, allowing the 31 athletes to compete.
Four of these 31 pro-war athletes won Olympic medals in Paris. Today, Global Rights Compliance is calling on the IOC to strip these medals and reallocate them to rule-abiding athletes.
Two medals would be stripped from Russian athletes, Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, who won silver medals in the women’s tennis doubles competition.
Evidence supplied to the IOC by Global Rights Compliance showed that both Andreeva and Shnaider had clearly violated the Principles of Participation, engaging in communication associated with supporting the war in Ukraine on social media. Schnaider should have been excluded for “liking” posts on Instagram supporting Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and claiming that ‘real Russians’ support the invasion. Andreeva was shown “liking” a post supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and featuring Vladimir Putin making jokes about Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s future funeral.
Belarusian rower, Yauheni Zalaty, won a silver medal in the single scull. According to Global Rights Compliance’s investigation, he should have been excluded from the Games for violating rules prohibiting any links to the Belarusian military – Zalaty holds the rank of junior sergeant in the Belarusian Armed Forces and is a member of the Sports Committee of the Armed Forces of Belarus, a Belarusian sports institution subordinate to the Belarusian Ministry of Defence.
Belarusian trampolinist, Ivan Litvinovich won a gold medal in the men’s trampoline final and was celebrated for becoming the first man in history to win gold at back-to-back Games in the discipline.
However, evidence presented to the IOC showed that Litvinovich competed and won gold at a trampolining competition in June 2023 at the Ice Palace in Krasnodar, Russia. At this competition, a prominent backdrop depicted Soviet pilot, E.I. Nosal in full uniform, including a large Saint George’s ribbon and multiple Soviet military medals. The IOC’s Principles specifically recognise the use of Saint-George’s colours and any other military branding or slogans as violating neutrality rules.
As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games conclude, Global Rights Compliance has condemned the IOC’s ‘cowardice’ by allowing these athletes to compete and win medals. It has said that allowing these medal winners – as well as 27 other Russian and Belarusian athletes who broke neutrality rules – to compete alongside Ukrainians at the Olympics is a disgrace. Not least considering the over 450 top Ukrainian athletes who have lost their lives since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Wayne Jordash KC, President of Global Rights Compliance, said, “These Olympic Games were an opportunity for the IOC to affirm its commitments to peace, stability and human rights for all. Instead, despite receiving evidence showing that many athletes had contravened these principles, it buried its head in the sand. This cowardice not only disgraces hundreds of Ukrainian athletes who have died since Russia’s illegal invasion, but it also belittles the continued suffering of millions of Ukrainians under daily bombardment of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
“As a bare minimum, the IOC should strip these four athletes of their medals. Looking ahead to the next Games in 2026, the IOC must also complete a thorough, independent review of its assessment processes. All eyes will be on Milano-Cortina.”
Global Rights Compliance notes that, alongside violating its own Principles of Participation in allowing these rule-breaking athletes to compete, the IOC is in violation of Principles 11 and 13 of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which it has committed to in its own Strategic Framework on Human Rights.
Global Rights Compliance alerted the Olympics’ corporate partners – including AB InBev, Airbnb, Coca Cola, Visa, Deloitte, Panasonic, Carrefour, and others – prior to the Games about its findings, as they could be unknowingly complicit in endorsing Russia’s criminal military action. But none of these organisations have taken meaningful action or made substantive statements regarding Global Rights Compliance’s findings.
Jeremy Pizzi, Legal Advisor Global Rights Compliance, said, “Commitments to human rights carry little weight if nothing is done when rules are broken. The IOC and President Thomas Bach’s position seems to be that dishonesty pays off. According to them, you can say one thing, do another, and avoid taking any responsibility as you pretend to value peace, solidarity, and human dignity.
“It is unconscionable that Ukrainian athletes have had to compete alongside Russian and Belarusian athletes who support the commission of violent crimes against them and their country. The lack of action in past weeks to prevent this has demonstrated a deeply disappointing truth. The IOC’s supposed ‘commitments’ to human rights are nothing more than window dressing for an organisation that shamefully refuses to take accountability.”
For further information and interview opportunities, please contact:
Inna Nerodyk-Kovalova
+38 096 1197337
Inna.Kovalova@grcompliance.org