International human rights experts have released new evidence they say has been ignored by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), revealing that over two thirds of Russian (and Belarus) athletes set to participate at the Paris 2024 Olympics have violated the IOC’s ‘Principles of Participation’ regarding Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

The complaint notes that Belarus swimmer Anastasiya Shkurdai is a representative of the Sports Committee of the Armed Forces of Belarus, a status that ought to disqualify her from racing in Paris under a neutral flag - and yet she is entered to compete.

The evidence, released today by international human rights foundation, Global Rights Compliance, includes "a thorough open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigation into the 59 Russian and Belarusian athletes declared eligible and invited to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics as ‘Individual Neutral Athletes’ (AINs) by the IOC, the ‘guardian of the Olympics’ on 8 June 2024".

Global Rights Compliance notes a stark statistic that links Russian aggression in Ukraine directly to sport in a way that the IOC cannot describe as politic. The bald and horrific impact on the lives of athletes:

Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Russia has killed over 450 Ukrainian top athletes.

Today, Global Rights Compliance has issued an open call for the IOC to respect its obligations to thoroughly review all AINs, and to render ineligible all athletes who have violated the Principles of Participation before the Olympic Games begin on 26 July 2024.

Wayne Jordash KC, President Global Rights Compliance, said:

“These Olympic Games should be an opportunity for the IOC to affirm and demonstrate its respect for its own human rights policy that is supposed to be premised on principles of peace, stability, and human rights for all. 

“The IOC is turning a blind eye to the involvement of Russian and Belarusian athletes who have demonstrated their support for Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. This is not only a violation of the UN Charter, but it continues to punish Ukraine’s innocent men, women and children with a daily catalogue of war crimes and crimes against humanity.   

“If the IOC’s stated aim is to “Build a Better World through Sport” then action must be taken by the IOC to demonstrate that it – and its associated businesses – do more than just play lip-service to ethics and human rights for all.”

SOS+ approached the IOC for comment on the GRC statement. A spokesperson said:

We cannot comment on individual cases and the decisions of the Review Panel. It has reviewed the athletes in accordance with the IOC EB decision and the principles that were established. We have nothing further to add.

The following is from a media release from...

Global Rights Compliance:

These athletes were declared eligible following an evaluation process by an IOC-established Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP), which reviewed athletes in accordance with the ‘Principles of Participation’ established by the IOC in December 2023 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Principles prohibit AINs from supporting the war in Ukraine, including in the media and on social media, or being contracted to the Russian and Belarusian military or security agencies facilitating Russia’s illegal invasion. 

Documentation relevant to the implementation of the participation rules for individual athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports states that “in the event of any infringement” of the principles, the IOC will “take the necessary action and issue the necessary sanctions, this may include disqualification of the individual from their relevant events.”

Despite being presented with clear evidence of violations by Global Rights Compliance, the IOC has failed to act in accordance with its own rules.

Of the 59 Russian and Belarusian athletes declared eligible by IOC, 31 have accepted their invitation to compete. The dossier released today by Global Rights compliance shows that over two thirds (67%) of accepting Russian athletes and well over a third (44%) of accepting Belarusian athletes have violated the Principles of Participation.

Among the Russian athletes implicated in the dossier is cyclist, Alena Ivanchenko who violated rules by “liking” a number of pro-war posts on social media, including posts questioning Ukraine’s right to exist and posts supporting the annexation of Donetsk and Luhansk. Tennis player, Elena Vesnina, also violated the rules, “liking” posts about ‘military feats’ of Russian soldiers killing Ukrainians and posts displaying the pro-war “Z” symbol.

Included in the Belarusian contingent is rower, Yauheni Zalaty, a Junior Sergeant in the Belarusian Armed Forces, along with swimmer Anastasiya Shkurdai, who is a representative of the Sports Committee of the Armed Forces of Belarus.

By allowing athletes who support an illegal and brutal invasion, the IOC is effectively demonstrating that a state may violently invade another and still be welcomed on the world’s stage.

Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Russia has killed over 450 Ukrainian top athletes.

Releasing the evidence today, Global Rights Compliance has stressed that this is “a measure of last resort”, which not only considers the global impact of such an event and the relevant public interest in this information, but also follows multiple attempts to warn the IOC that some athletes it has cleared to compete violate its own rules of neutrality regarding the war in Ukraine. 

In response to Global Rights Compliance’s submission of evidence, the IOC has refused to act, replying to one message saying: “You may be assured that the Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel (AINERP) is taking its task very seriously. It is reviewing the Individual Neutral Athletes in accordance with the IOC Executive Board’s decision and the principles established. The panel is in a position to benefit from new information from various sources.”

The IOC has ignored all further communication from the international human rights foundation despite repeated evidence being shared on athletes’ violations.

Alongside violating its own Principles of Neutrality, Global Rights Compliance also highlights that the IOC is in violation of Principles 11 and 13 of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which it has committed to in its own, recently signed, Strategic Framework on Human Rights.

Yesterday, Global Rights Compliance alerted some of the IOC’s corporate partners – including AB InBev, Airbnb, Coca Cola, Visa, Deloitte, Panasonic, Carrefour, and others – to its findings, highlighting that they could be unknowingly complicit in endorsing Russia’s criminal military action.

Today, Global Rights Compliance is publicly calling on the IOC to respect its obligations to thoroughly review all AINs, and to render ineligible all athletes who have violated the Principles of Participation before the Olympic Games begin on 26 July 2024.

Wayne Jordash KC, President Global Rights Compliance, said: “These Olympic Games should be an opportunity for the IOC to affirm and demonstrate its respect for its own human rights policy that is supposed to be premised on principles of peace, stability, and human rights for all." (See quote in full at the head off this article)

Jeremy Pizzi, Legal Advisor Global Rights Compliance, said: 

“The IOC has claimed that the Principles of Participation were the best possible solution to responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine all while being guided by the interests of athletes. If applied correctly, these rules could do just that. However, the IOC has unfortunately failed in its duty to diligently apply them. 

“This is leading to a situation where Ukrainian athletes are forced to compete alongside Russian and Belarusian athletes who support the commission of violent crimes against them because of the colours they bravely wear on their uniform. Such a reality seems far from “placing sport at the service of a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity”, which the IOC purports to represent in its own Charter.”

Thank you to Global Rights Compliance for submitting this article through The Communications Group.

Images in the screenshot of the GRC release:

• Right- Elena Vesnina, competing at Roland Garos in 2018 (Wikimedia Commons – si.robi); Centre – International Olympic Committee logo (International Olympic Committee); Left - Alena Ivanchenko, competing in the 2023 Tour de France (Wikimedia Commons – Kakhoula10)

About the protagonists:

Global Rights Compliance

Global Rights Compliance (GRC), is an international human rights foundation, specialising in international humanitarian law, international criminal law and business and human rights. Founded in 2013, Global Rights Compliance’s mission is to provide justice through the innovative application of international law.

Since 2015, GRC has worked on the ground in Ukraine to enhance accountability for atrocity crimes committed by Russian forces since the invasion began in 2014. This includes aiding the Ukrainian government to adopt legislation and develop best practices; providing training to local investigators; providing legal advice; producing benchbooks, guides, and tailored apps; and supporting Ukrainian authorities’ contributions to international institutions such as the ICC, UNHCR, and ICJ.

GRC is led by world-renowned lawyer and international human rights and humanitarian law expert and President at GRC, Wayne Jordash KC, and world-leading expert in the war crime of starvation and associated violations and Vice-President at GRC, Catriona Murdoch.

About the International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), founded in 1894, is a non-governmental organisation responsible for organising the modern Olympic Games. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, the IOC promotes Olympic values, oversees host city selection, and ensures the Games' integrity, fostering global sportsmanship and unity. The IOC’s stated aim is to “Build a Better World through Sport”.