The Paralympic Committee complained to the UN about discrimination against Russians

The Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) sent a letter to the UN with a request to call on the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to prevent discrimination against Russians based on nationality. The appeal was also sent to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNESCO, the World Union of Disabled Persons, the International Organization of Disabled Persons, and the International Consortium on Disability and Development.

The RPC said that the suspension of his IPC membership means a complete ban on the participation of Russian athletes with disabilities in all international sports competitions and the Paralympic Games. This measure will be in effect “until the IPC (based on its own subjective opinion) considers that there are no grounds for applying these sanctions,” the Russian committee notes.

“The IPC has not provided evidence that the RPC violated any of its membership obligations under the provisions of the IPC constitution: all IPC allegations in this regard are completely unfounded and / or do not concern the actions of the RPC. The IPC also accused the RCC of violating the “Olympic Truce”. However, neither the RCC, nor the athletes, nor the coaches violated and could not decide on the violation of the “Olympic Truce” and, therefore, should not be held responsible for this, ”the statement says. letter.

In November 2022, the IPC suspended the membership of the RPC. In March 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended admit athletes from Russia and Belarus to the competitions in a neutral status, but on the condition that they do not represent the Russian law enforcement agencies, and also did not engage in “support for hostilities”. This week IPC chief Andrew Parsons saidthat Russian Paralympic athletes may be admitted to the 2024 Games in Paris, regardless of the decision of the IOC.

Details – in the publication “Kommersant” “Here’s the IOC, and here’s the threshold”.

Laura Keffer