Italy objects to Paralympics allowing Russian and Belarusian participation

Italy’s Government Calls for Reversal of Russian and Belarusian Athletes’ Participation in Paralympic Games

The Italian government has expressed its opposition to allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete with national flags and anthems at the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Sports Minister Andrea Abodi made the request, citing Russia’s four-year-old invasion of Ukraine as a reason for reconsideration.

In a statement, the Italian government stated that it is “absolute opposition” to the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Games. The statement echoed the stance of 33 other countries and the European Commission, which also opposes the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

Russia’s embassy in Italy responded by condemning the Italian government’s stance as “offensive” and “deserving widespread condemnation”. The embassy stated that targeting athletes with disabilities is unacceptable.

The IPC had previously banned Russia and Belarus from Paralympic competitions following the 2022 invasion, but regained full rights last year. However, international federations for each sport on the Paralympic Games programme maintained bans on athletes from those countries. Russia and Belarus won an appeal against these bans with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in December.

A limited number of Russian and Belarusian athletes are currently competing as neutral independents without flags or anthems at the ongoing Winter Games. The Italian government has denied reports that Foreign Minister Tajani might block visas for Russians, stating that authorities would not take any action to prevent athletes from participating if their participation is confirmed.

Source: Al Jazeera