Vladimir Medyanik17:09, 12.10.23

The IOC punished the ROC for its decision to include regional committees of the occupied territories of Ukraine in its composition.

The International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) has suspended the membership of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). 

The decision was made in response to the decision of the ROC to include the Olympic committees of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine in its composition.

The IOC stated that this is a violation of the Olympic Charter, since it also violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

“The IOC Executive Committee decided to disqualify the ROC until further notice. The decision of the ROC to include the regional committees of the Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine.

The suspension means that the ROC can no longer function as a national Olympic committee and receive funding from the Olympic movement,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.

It is also reported that the IOC reserves the right to make decisions on the participation of individual neutral athletes with a Russian passport in the 2024 and 2026 Olympics.

Let us recall that on October 5, the Russian Olympic Committee included in its membership regional organizations of the occupied Ukrainian territories, namely the Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. 

(C)UNIAN 2023