The Paralympic Committee of Belarus is planning to write a letter of appeal to the International Olympic Committee and to address it to IOC President Thomas Bach. Secretary General of the Paralympic Committee of Belarus Nikolai Shudeiko told this to BelTA.
Earlier, the Belarusian Paralympic Committee sent an appeal to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) against the wrongful decision to suspend the membership of Belarus in the IPC.
"We are planning to write another letter, an appeal to the International Olympic Committee, to Thomas Bach, its President, so that they reviewed their policy towards the Belarusian and Russian Paralympians. Since there is discrimination on national grounds, all adopted international documents, from the UN resolution to the Constitution of the International Paralympic Committee, are violated," said Nikolai Shudeiko.
The Belarusian Paralympians also filed a lawsuit to the European Court of Human Rights. "We are waiting for some reaction. Naturally, everyone is waiting for this political situation to be settled and for everyone to get back to a normal sporting life. But the guys don't stop - the celebration of the Day of Persons with Disabilities is on the agenda. This is evidence of the fact that people with disabilities set high ideals and goals, and indeed - they are marked by the establishment of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The goal of our celebrations will be to somehow encourage people with disabilities to continue their activities. I have been to the Paralympic Assembly several times in Berlin, and on the sidelines there are talks everywhere that the sanctions may remain in relation to the Paralympic Committee, but the athletes should be allowed to compete. International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons also said at the G20 summit in Bali that sports cannot be used as a political weapon to divide countries. In his view, all athletes should compete, including those from nations in conflict or at war. But so far the International Paralympic Committee has not reacted in any way. But we are taking all measures to protect the honor and dignity of our athletes. State authorities are giving us methodical and practical support," informed Nikolai Shudeiko.
He added that there have been cases in history when athletes were suspended from the Olympics and Paralympics. "When South Africa's apartheid policy was condemned, then their Olympians and Paralympians were suspended from the games for two cycles. After Nelson Mandela was elected as the new president, the situation changed and everything came back. I know cases when Russians and us, I mean the tennis federation, were suspended. And now we have created a third precedent on the example of the Paralympic Committee," concluded Nikolai Shudeiko.
The project has been created at the expense of the targeted fee for the production of the national content.













