MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. Russia urges the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to refuse the policy of double standards and insists on the reinstatement of Russian and Belarusian athletes in their rights, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"We demand from the International Olympic Committee a clear and unequivocal rejection of the double standards practice, the strict application of equal treatment of all athletes without any exceptions and without discrimination on any grounds whatsoever," Zakharova told a news briefing.

"We strongly insist on the full reinstatement of all Russian and Belarusian athletes, who have suffered from the [International Olympic] Committee's targeted politicization of the sports agenda," she added.

The IOC warned earlier in the week that it would resort to prompt measures regarding athletes and sports officials, who may display a discriminatory behavior towards representatives of Israel.

IOC sanctions against Russia

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

In late March, 2023, the IOC recommended to permit individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports tournaments, but only under certain conditions. Specifically, athletes from the two countries should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status. Russia and Belarus were also banned from participating in international team events.