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IOC, London Organizers Deny Banning Lukashenko

© RIA Novosti . Sergey Guneev / Go to the mediabankAlexander Lukashenko
Alexander Lukashenko - Sputnik International
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The decision to ban the president of Belarus from the London Olympics came neither from the International Olympic Committee nor Games organizers, they told R-Sport on Wednesday.

The decision to ban the president of Belarus from the London Olympics came neither from the International Olympic Committee nor Games organizers, they told R-Sport on Wednesday.

The head of Russia's Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov, tweeted earlier Wednesday that President Alexander Lukashenko had been denied accreditation to the sports extravaganza.

"The organizing committee in London did not give accreditation to National Olympic Committee President Alexander Lukashenko. Isn't sports outside politics?" Zhukov said.

But Lukashenko was one of 204 heads of state invited by the Local Olympic Games Organizing Committee to the Games, a LOCOG representative told R-Sport.

The representative explained that the British Home Office began examining visa applications only after the invitations were issued.

A Home Office spokesperson refused to comment on individual cases, citing policy.

The International Olympic Committee, meanwhile, confirmed that it too had not banned Lukashenko.

"It is the responsibility of the local government to decide who enters the host nation's territory or not," an IOC spokesperson told R-Sport by email.

"Each accredited person at the Olympic Games goes through the relevant security background checks. Those are conducted by the local authorities."

The Olympics start in London on Friday, July 27, and run until August 12.

Lukashenko sent off his Olympic team to London earlier this month, setting them a target of 25 medals including five golds.

Lukashenko, labeled by the United States as Europe's last dictator, said in mid-July he thought the games were "politicized."

The EU announced a visa ban and asset freeze on Lukashenko and almost 160 of his officials in January 2011, following disputed presidential elections.

Lukashenko stayed in power after the disputed December 2010 elections. The Belarusian government crushed subsequent protests against the results and arrested many opposition figures.

In March, European Parliament said Belarus should not host the 2014 ice hockey world championships because of continuing human rights abuses in the country.

The parliament adopted a resolution saying the International Ice Hockey Federation should consider moving the tournament "until the regime shows commitment to human rights and the rule of law."

The championships would be the first major sporting event held in Belarus.

 

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