The executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has released a statement announcing the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) "with immediate effect until further notice."
This decision stems from the ROC's recent acknowledgment of regional entities from four Ukrainian territories, which have been illegally absorbed by Russia amid the ongoing large-scale conflict that began in 2022.
The IOC pointed out that this recognition, which occurred last Thursday, violates the principles of the Olympic Charter by encroaching upon the territorial sovereignty of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine.
The IOC also shared its intent to deliberate on the participation of Russian athletes as neutrals in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, indicating that this determination will be made "at the appropriate time."
Notably, the ROC had officially recognised Olympic Councils representing the territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
This development underscores the ongoing scrutiny on whether athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus should be permitted to participate in international sporting events as neutrals in the context of the ongoing conflict.
The IOC has received much pressure since the invasion began to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing even under a neutral flag but the IOC advised sporting federations to allow athletes from these nations to compete under a neutral banner in March this year.
As it currently stands, the IOC sanctions mean that no international sporting events can take place in Russia or territory Belarus and the flags, national anthems or any other national symbol of both countries may not be used.
According to the BBC, "Ukraine has threatened to boycott next year's Games in Paris if a full ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes is not upheld."
IOC Executive Board suspends Russian Olympic Committee with immediate effect.
IOC statement: pic.twitter.com/vS7YoT1MLx— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) October 12, 2023
