Appeal of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Athlete Rights Association (IARA) Anatoly Peskov to the President of the IOC Bach.

An open letter to the President of the International Olympic Committee, Sir T. Bach   

         President of the International Olympic Committee T. Bach

                                 Dear Sir T. Bach!

        I am writing to you in connection with the incredible campaign launched in international sports to discriminate against Russian and Belarusian athletes due to the events in Ukraine, as well as with the discussion by the international sports community of the problem of admitting these athletes to the Olympic Games in Paris (France, 2024).

    As you know, the participation of these athletes in the Olympic Games in Paris was opposed by the European Parliament and 35 leading countries of the world. The IOC also offered our athletes to compete exclusively in a neutral status, without a national flag and anthem. Moreover, the Polish Minister of Sports even offered to include our "neutral" athletes in the refugee team, on the condition that they condemn the war in Ukraine. It seems to me that this is a direct mockery of the national dignity and rights of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

     It is sad that this campaign was initiated by the decision of the IOC Executive Committee of February 28, 2022 in connection with the conduct of a special military operation by Russia in Ukraine. You recommended that international sports federations “do everything possible in their power” to ensure that no athlete or official from Russia or Belarus is allowed to participate in international sports competitions. In my opinion, these are not sports sanctions, these are purely political sanctions. The IOC punished the sovereign state of Russia, its officials and athletes, forbade them to use the symbols of the state, without having the authority of the International Criminal Court.

    As you know, Russian athletes have been deprived of their flag and anthem for more than five years for violating anti-doping rules. Did the IOC have the right to deprive Russia of state symbols? In my opinion, no. These sanctions contradict Articles 2 and 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted unanimously by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948. In particular,

Article 15 of this most important international legal document emphasizes: “Everyone has the right to a nationality. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his or her nationality nor denied the right to change the nationality". Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights notes: "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration.... Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs...." Contrary to these rules the IOC began to divide athletes into “bad” and “good” depending on the countries to which they belong.

    You can object to me and say that I am exaggerating the current situation in international sports. Boycotts, bans, performances under neutral flags have always taken place in the history of the modern Olympic Games. However, in the entire history of the Olympic Movement, such large-scale and long-term sanctions have not been imposed on athletes of individual countries, deliberately humiliating their national pride and dignity, forcing them to abandon belonging to the countries where they were born and raised, where their parents are buried. I am convinced that athletes should not be punished for wars waged by politicians. You can't punish the innocents. In my opinion, this is immoral and illegal.

    Dear President Bach! Please excuse me for the harsh tone of my letter. I know that in fact you personally do a lot to preserve the unity of international sport. You have repeatedly spoken out against political pressure on the IOC. You contribute to the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes in a neutral status to the Olympic sport. We are delighted with your speech at the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in Bali on November 15, 2022, where you advocated the political neutrality of the International Olympic Committee. We greatly appreciate your selfless work to preserve the unity of international sport.

    However, in our opinion, it is not enough to speak only beautiful words about the depoliticization of sports. We invite you to act more decisively in defense of the rights of all athletes on our planet. It seems to me that any national state symbols should be banned at the Olympic Games, where, as Baron De Coubertin noted, athletes compete, not countries. It seems that the raising of national flags and the performance of national anthems at the Olympic Games contribute to the fact that each country wants to prove its worth and power through sports victories, sometimes at any cost, violating the norms of international and sports law. This is real politics.

    In this regard, we propose that all Olympic Games be held without national flags and anthems, and that the Olympic Flag and Anthem be used exclusively to celebrate the winners. This is not our proposal. Such proposals have already been made by IOC President Avery Brundage, Head of the National Olympic Committee of the Netherlands Hans Linthorst-Homan, President of the International Olympic Academy in Ancient Olympia Prince George of Hanover, Chairman of the British Olympic Association Denis Follows, Albert Mayer (Switzerland), Paavo Honkayuuri (Finland) and many other distinguished members of the IOC.

   It seems to me that this proposal is very relevant today in connection with the incredible politicization of international sports and the hysteria around the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympic Games. It is especially important to discuss this idea now, when sport and the world are on the verge of a split, on the verge of World War III, when it is necessary to curb mutual hatred and enmity, and to force the athletes of the warring countries to lay down their arms, as required by the Olympic Truce, and start a peaceful competition. It seems to me that it would be great if, at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, athletes of different nationalities and countries walked in columns together as brothers and sisters under a single Olympic flag, showing the whole world their desire to unite humanity and preserve peace on our wonderful planet.

   I ask you to consider this proposal at the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee.

   With deepest respect and reverence

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the

International Athlete Rights Association (IARA, Russia)

Honorary Vice-President of the International Association

Sports Law (IASL, Greece)

                                                                        A. Peskov

March 15, 2023

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