LONDON (AFP) – Ministers from 37 nations signed a joint statement on Tuesday calling for additional sporting sanctions to be imposed on Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine.
The statement, organiZed by the British government, followed a virtual summit convened by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston on March 3.
France, Germany, Japan, Australia, Canada and the United States are among the other signatories.
“Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of choice against Ukraine, enabled by the Belarusian government, is abhorrent and a flagrant breach of its international obligations,” the statement said.
“Respect for human rights and peaceful relations between nations form the foundation of international sport.”
The statement also called for Russia and Belarus not to be permitted to “host, bid for or be awarded any international sporting events.”
And it said any ban should also be extended to individual athletes selected by Russia and Belarus administrators, as well as teams or cities “effectively representing” the states such as major football clubs.
Welcoming the recent decision by the International Paralympic Committee to ban both Russia and Belarus athletes from the Winter Paralympics in Beijing, the statement said: “These restrictions should be in place until cooperation under the fundamental principles of international law has become possible again.”
Earlier on Tuesday, sport’s top court said the Football Union of Russia had lodged appeals against the suspension of Russian national teams and clubs from all FIFA and UEFA competitions over the invasion of Ukraine.
The FUR is asking the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a stay of execution for the suspensions, to allow Russia to play in a 2022 World Cup playoff against Poland scheduled for March 24.
