Russia again threatens "neutral athletes" with prison for participating in the 2024 Olympics

Russian athletes who agree to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in a neutral status will violate the laws of the aggressor country. This may even lead to criminal proceedings against the athletes for the so-called discrediting of the Russian army.

This was stated by the President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Stanislav Pozdnyakov in an interview with the propaganda news agency R-Sport. According to him, one of the conditions for admission to the Olympics is the condemnation of the war in Ukraine, which is punishable by the laws of the Russian terrorist state.

"The athletes participating in the Olympics must condemn the special military operation in Ukraine (as the war in Ukraine is shamefully called in Russia - ed.), sign some other documents that, in the opinion of the ROC legal department, may lead to negative consequences in the form of violation of Russian law. From the point of view of our lawyers and according to the charter, the ROC is responsible for the interests of the Russian Olympic team. Neutral athletes do not fall under this concept," Pozdnyakov said.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov demanded that the IOC ignore Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and not be interested in the topic at all.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matitsyn unexpectedly spoke out against the boycott of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris by Russian athletes.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!