The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Monday that its members were chosen for their personal abilities and not as representatives of their countries.in response to the Swiss Government’s formal request to exclude any of its assembly members from Russia and Belarus because of the war in Ukraine.
The head of the Swiss Ministry of Defense, Population Protection and Sport, Viola Amherd, recently wrote an official letter to the highest level of the IOC requesting the suspension of these members. The Swiss city of Lausanne is the headquarters of the IOC.
In a reaction sent to Efe, the sports organization explained that the Olympic Charter establishes that IOC members exercise as individuals and not on behalf of their countries. Those members serve as ambassadors of the sports body to organizations in their respective countries.
The IOC currently has two elected members, Shamil Tarpishchev and Yelena Isinbayeva.and two honorary members, Vitaly Smirnov and Alexander Popov, of Russian nationality.
Specialists from that country and Belarus continue to participate in commissions in its work, being an ally of the Kremlin and authorizing the use of its territory for the invasion of Ukraine.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the IOC asked sports federations not to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate. in their competitions, or be entered as neutral at best.
He also urged all international federations of various sports to move or cancel events planned in either of the two countries.
He also removed the Olympic Order from all people with important positions in the Russian government, including President Vladimir Putin and others.
The IOC has not organized and has no plans to hold any type of event in which members from Russia will participate. But on May 20, its meeting was called to end the 139th Session, which began during the Beijing Games in February and did not complete its agenda due to restrictions arising from the pandemic.
Source: La Verdad
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