Lithuania discusses banning Russians and Belarusians from participating in sports tournaments
Kyiv • UNN
The Lithuanian government is considering a ban on citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus from participating in sports and scientific events. This would allow for references to national security.
The Lithuanian government is considering a legislative ban on citizens of Russia and Belarus participating in international sporting and scientific events held in the country. This was reported by LRT, according to UNN.
Details
Lithuanian Minister of Education Raminta Popovienė stated that relevant proposals have already been submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to her, these involve additional restrictions for representatives of the aggressor states in the fields of sports, science, and education.
"In May, we submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to include additional restrictions in the law on restrictive measures that would prevent citizens of aggressor countries from participating in international educational, scientific, training, and sporting events held in Lithuania,"
Currently, recommendations are already in place in Lithuania to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from competitions. If they do participate in tournaments, they must sign a declaration condemning the war against Ukraine and are prohibited from using national symbols.
Within the Lithuanian sports community, it is believed that enshrining such a ban in law would allow federations to cite national security concerns and avoid accusations of discrimination.