Over two-thirds of Russian athletes set to participate in the upcoming Olympics have violated neutrality rules by displaying public support for the invasion of Ukraine, human rights group Global Rights Compliance reported on July 18.
Global Rights Compliance released the evidence following an open-source investigation into the Russian and Belarusian athletes who have accepted their invitation to participate in the Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN).
The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled in December 2023 that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris, which starts on July 26, as AIN with "strict eligibility conditions."
Under the rules, Russian and Belarusian athletes cannot participate as teams nor display any flags or official identification with either country.
The rules also stipulate that athletes or members of their team who have openly supported the war or have been affiliated with the military or security organizations of Russia or Belarus are barred.
According to Global Rights Compliance, of the 31 Russian and Belarusian athletes who have accepted their invitation to compete in the Olympics, 67% of Russian athletes and 44% of Belarusian athletes have violated the rules by publically displaying support for the invasion of Ukraine or their respective country's military.
Among the Russian athletes is Alena Ivanchenko, a cyclist who supported several pro-war posts on social media, "including posts questioning Ukraine's right to exist and posts supporting the annexation of Donetsk and Luhansk," Global Rights Compliance said.
Tennis player Elena Vesnina liked posts on social media about Russian soldiers killing Ukrainians, according to the report.
Earlier in July, Ukraine called for Russian athletes to be barred from participating in the Olympics due to evidence of their support for Russian military actions.
In a letter to the IOC, the president of Ukraine's NOC, Vadym Gutzeit, and acting Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi said that many Russian athletes "do not meet sufficient criteria to receive the status" of AIN and represent a "gross violation of the requirements established" by the IOC.
Global Rights Compliance said that it made its research public after "multiple ignored warnings to the IOC."
The IOC reportedly told Global Rights Compliance that the panel reviewing AIN's eligibility is "taking its task very seriously" and is reviewing athletes as per "the IOC Executive Board's decision and the principles established."
The IOC has so far not taken action and "failed to act in accordance with its own rules," Global Rights Compliance said.
Global Rights Compliance said it is alerting the IOC's corporate partners, which include multinationals like Airbnb, Coca-Cola, Visa, and Panasonic, "highlighting that they could be unknowingly complicit in endorsing Russia's criminal military action."
Over 500 Ukrainian sports facilities have been damaged or destroyed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, and more than 450 Ukrainian athletes have been killed.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
