The president of the International Ice Hockey Federation Rene Fasel told RIA Novosti on Monday that he is confident that calls to boycott the 2014 world championships in Belarus will go unheeded.
The European Parliament last month passed a resolution urging the IIHF to repeal hosting rights for the tournament “until the regime shows commitment to human rights and the rule of law.”
The IIHF immediately reacted in a statement that said it was up to member federations to raise the issue at the body's next congress in Helsinki in May, but cited its own statutes that oblige it to remain political neutral.
"I think we will be in Belarus. I'm confident we will be there," Fasel told RIA Novosti in a brief interview on Monday in Moscow, where the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees was taking place.
Fasel underlined the role of the Helsinki congress in deciding the ultimate fate of the annual tournament.
The European Union last month extended sanctions on President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime in response to its execution of two people convicted of bombing a subway station of the capital city, Minsk, that killed 15 people and wounded 300 others.
Both were convicted in November on evidence that their defense lawyers described as inconclusive.
Belarus is the only nation in Europe still using capital punishment.
The championships would be the first major sporting event held in Belarus. Lukashenko, a keen hockey fan, reportedly said in March that his country had “earned the championship” and “suffered” for it.
He has promised visa-free entry for participants and spectators.
Language used in the IIHF statement warned boycotting the event would open a can of worms when attempting to regulate future issues.
“The IIHF would furthermore like to invite a broader discussion whether it is recommended to generally use sports as a political tool, and, if yes, how to implement across-the-board consistency in such actions to avoid certain sports and championships from arbitrarily being singled out.”
Fasel is a member of the International Olympic Committee's executive board.
