The organizing committee of the London 2012 Olympic Games has refused accreditation to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is head of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus, state duma first vice-speaker and president of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov said on Wednesday.
"The organizing committee in London did not give accreditation to National Olympic Committee President Alexander Lukashenko. Isn't sports outside politics?" Zhukov said on his micro-blog on Twitter, without stating the reason for the refusal.
The London Olympics Organizing Committee was not available for comment. Lukashenko's press office declined to comment.
The Olympics start in London on Friday, July 27, and run until August 12. Lukashenko sent off his Olympic team to London in the middle of this month, tasking them to bring home at least 25 medals including five golds.
"What about Olympic values and traditions? Every schoolchild knows that Greece was always at peace during the Games," Zhukov wrote.
Lukashenko said in mid-July he thought the games were "politicized."
The EU announced a visa ban and asset freeze on President Lukashenko and almost 160 of his officials in January 2011, following the presidential elections in Belarus the previous month.
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. Lukashenko is a keen ice hockey fan.
