GENEVA, April 2. /TASS/. The criteria for admission of athletes in neutral status to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris must comply with international law, including freedom of expression, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Marta Hurtado told TASS.
Commenting on the words of IOC President Thomas Bach that the organization is monitoring the political statements of Russian athletes, she said: "With respect to the IOC eligibility conditions for Individual Neutral Athletes at Paris 2024 published on March 19, 2024, the UN Human Rights Office encourages the IOC to ensure that criteria used to assess eligibility respect international human rights law, including freedom of expression, and that assessments are made on a case-by-case basis, including as regards possible support for the war."
Earlier, the IOC president said in a conversation with Russian pranksters Vladimir Kuznetsov ("Vovan") and Alexey Stolyarov ("Lexus") that the organization was keeping close track of political statements made by Russian athletes, particularly with the help of Ukrainian representatives. According to Bach, those who express their support for the Russian government will not be allowed to take part in the Olympic Games because a special IOC monitoring commission has been keeping tabs on the Internet, media outlets and public statements, together with an independent company. "We have also offered to the Ukrainian side - not only offered, but asked them - to provide us with their knowledge of the behaviour of such [Russian] athletes or officials," Bach told the pranksters in the conversation, the recording of which was published on their Telegram channel.
The Paris Olympic Games will be held from July 26 to August 11. Russian and Belarusian athletes are still subject to restrictions. In Paris, they will be able to perform only in a neutral status, they will be forbidden to demonstrate any connection with their countries and to participate in team competitions. The Russian authorities consider the IOC's decision to be discriminatory and contrary to Olympic principles.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier that the activities of the IOC and its president Thomas Bach were nothing but a betrayal of the ideals of Olympism.