Kiri

Ms Mariya Gabriel Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth of the European Commission Brussels Brussels, 27 January 2021 In November 2013, a letter signed by 23 EU Member States was addressed to Androulla Vassiliou, the Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth (2010 – 2014). In the letter, the ministers responsible for sport delivered the following statement: “We  reaffirm  the  need  to  combat  discrimination  and  intolerance  where  they  occur  within  and   outside the sporting context. We recognize the potential of sport as a universal language that contributes to educating people on the values of respect, diversity, tolerance and fairness and as a way of combatting all forms of discrimination and promote social inclusion for all. These values should be respected within the context of all sports. We call upon all states that participate in organizing major sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, World Championships and other major sporting events to respect the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Therefore, we call upon all states to uphold their international commitments to non- discrimination, freedom of expression, freedom of association and assembly, in particular in the framework of the Council of Europe, to protect the enjoyment of these rights by all individuals, regardless of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, disability, birth, sexual orientation or any other status. Human rights are universal and indivisible and we believe that the European Union, as a key player in the area of fundamental rights, is in a unique position to promote human rights through sport and major sporting events, both within and outside of the European Union.” This message is as true and important today as it was seven years ago. Some major international sporting events are taking place, or being planned to be organized, in states where human rights violations or abuses have been reported by international monitoring mechanisms, and the physical and moral integrity of athletes is not axiomatic. This is in contradiction with article 18 of the Olympic Charter. A reference can be made especially, but not only, to Belarus where, according to the OSCE Rapporteur, “major human rights abuses” have been found to be “massive, systematic and proven beyond doubt”. In this context, we, the ministers responsible for sport, wish to reiterate the message of the statement made by the EU sport ministers in 2013. It is crucial that human rights are ensured in all countries organizing major international sporting events both within and outside of the European Union. While fully respecting the autonomy of sport, international sports organizations should be encouraged to take accountable decisions on the hosts for major sporting events. We would like to call on the European Commission, within the respective areas of competences of the European Union, to commit to identifying an appropriate policy approach to this important issue. Yours sincerely, Mr Werner Kogler Ms Nikolina Brnjac Ph.D. Vice-Chancellor – Austria Minister of Tourism and Sport – Croatia Ms. Isabelle WEYKMANS Mr Prodromos Prodromou Minister for Culture, Sports, Employment and Minister of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth – Media (German-speaking Community) Cyprus This signature binds the Flemish Community, French Community and German-speaking Community of Belgium Also on behalf of. Ms. Valérie GLATIGNY Ing. Robert Plaga Ph.D. Minister for Higher Education, Adult Education, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport – Czech University hospitals, Youth Welfare, Houses of Republic Justice, Youth, Sport and the Promotion of Brussels (French Community) Mr. Ben WEYTS Ms Joy Mogensen Vice minister-president responsible for Minister for Culture – Denmark Education, Sport, Animal welfare and the Flemish periphery (Flemish Community) Mr Krasen Kralev Ms Anneli Ott Minister of Youth and Sports – Bulgaria Minister of Culture – Estonia  Dr Ilga  Šuplinska Ms Annika Saarikko Minister of Education and Science – Latvia Minister of Science and Culture – Finland Ms Jurgita  Šiugždinienė Minister delegate for Sports – France Minister of Education, Science and Sport – Lithuania Mr Stephan Mayer Mr Dan Kersch Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Sport – Luxembourg Minister of the Interior, Building and Community – Germany Hon Dr Clifton Grima Mr Lefteris Avgenakis Parliamentary Secretary for Sports, Recreation Deputy Minister of Culture and Sport – Greece and Voluntary Organisations – Malta Ms Tünde Szabó Dr Ms Tamara van Ark Minister of State for Sport – Hungary Minister for Medical Care and Sport – The Netherlands Mr Jack Chambers TD Prof Piotr  Gliński Minister with responsibility for Sport and Deputy Prime-Minister, Minister of Culture, Gaeltacht – Ireland National Heritage and Sport – Poland Mr Vincenzo Spadafora Mr Tiago Brandão Rodrigues Minister for Youth and Sports – Italy Minister of Education (in charge of Sport) – Portugal  Ms Simona Kustec Minister for Education, Science and Sport of the Republic – Slovenia Mr Carol-Eduard Novák Minister for Youth and Sports – Romania Mr Ivan Husár Ms Irene Lozano State Secretary for Sport - Slovak Republic Secretary of State for Sport – Spain Ms Amanda Lind Minister for Culture and Democracy, with responsibility for sport – Sweden https://bssf.team Tel.: +37253828007 E-mail: [email protected] Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Ms Anneli Ott Estonia: Minister of Culture [email protected] Estonian Olympic Committee Mr Urmas Sõõrumaa (submitted in copy for high President of the Estonian Olympic consideration): Committee Mr Siim Sukles Secretary General of the Estonian Olympic Committee [email protected] Dear Ms Anneli Ott, The Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation (“the BSSF”) would like to express its gratitude to you for the huge support that you provide to sports. We cordially thank you for your commitment to the Belarusians expressed within the request to the European Commission to identify the appropriate policy approach to ensure that human rights are respected in all countries organizing major international sports events both within and outside of the European Union.1 The Belarusians did appreciate European Union strict adherence to a fundamental value of democracy – human rights obedience and respect for human dignity. With this letter, the BSSF respectfully draws your attention to the strong intent of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme (“the UEC”) to hold the 2021 UEC Track Elite European                                                                                                                         1 Annex 1: the request of the ministers of the European Union countries responsible for sports to the European Commission dated of January 27, 2021. Championships in Belarus (“the UEC Championship”) on 23-27 June, 2021 despite severe human rights violations and an absolutely unsafe environment. Thus, the situation with human rights violations and safety and security issues has been getting worse. More than 35,000 Belarusian citizens have been repressed, more than 3 000 criminal investigations have been launched against peaceful protesters. Currently more than 354 persons in Belarus are considered as political prisoners, five of them went on hunger strike and two tried to commit suicide. The OSCE report on Belarus, the reports of International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus and the Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council of the United Nations No 44/19 documented more than 500 cases of human rights violations, including tortures, illegal detention, excessive violence, ill-treatment of women and miners, sexual or gender-based violence, unbearable conditions in prisons. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Commission for democracy through law have already determined the abuse of Code of Administrative Offences and Criminal Code articles application by the Belarusian authorities. Moreover, the UN Human Rights Council has established a new international mechanism to ensure accountability for violations of human rights in Belarus, which occurred in the country in connection with the 2020 presidential election. The international sports federations have already moved major sports tournaments such as the 2021 World Ice Hockey Championship and the 2021 UIPM Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships from Belarus for safety and security issues. The Union of European Football Associations (“the UEFA”) joined the stated decisions by stripping Belarus of the 2020/21 UEFA Futsal Champions League Finals. Furthermore, there is a real threat that holding and broadcasting of the UEC Championship would be considered as legitimising of the violent regime of Mr Lukashenko. Herewith, the Belarusian authorities have already vanished the freedom of speech and independent and pluralistic media. Thus, the Belarus has put ban for Euronews TV channel broadcasting, the channel owned by the European Broadcasting Union – the broadcaster of the broadcasting of the UEC Championship. The only remaining media in Belarus is the National State TV and Radio Company that has been violating human rights on ongoing basis. As a main tool of Belarusian authorities’ media propaganda, the National State TV and Radio Company has not only participated intentionally in such crimes as defamation, intentional denigration of honour and dignity, activities aimed at inciting hatred or enmity, but also in the severest human rights violation – tortures. The compliance of the National State TV and Radio Company with the standards and principles of independent media has already been raised before the international media society.   2    That being said, holding the 2021 UEC Track Elite European Championships in Belarus could endanger everyone involved, including the participants, fans, officials and volunteers as well as could legitimize the illegal regime of Mr Lukashenko. The BSSF has filed relevant appeals to the UEC to transfer the UEC Championship from Belarus, but the UEC prefers to ignore the situation in Belarus and insists on holding it in a country where it is dangerous for a person on a bicycle to appear on the streets of Minsk, as cyclists are suspected of coordinating the protests and any cyclist can be arbitrarily beaten, detained and sent to prison.2 In view of the aforementioned, the BSSF respectfully calls you coherently express solidarity with Belarusian people who have been struggle for their human rights abidance and to advocate for transferring the UEC Championship from Belarus to another country. In case of the UEC decision to hold the UEC Championship in Belarus despite the aggregative factors stated above, we kindly ask you to consider the issue whether it would be safe enough to send relevant national cycling team to the host country whose authorities could detain any stranger without any reason. The BSSF is ready to provide you with any details regarding the above-mentioned or other helpful information required. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via phone or via email. Regards, Aliaksandr Apeikin Executive Director of the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation                                                                                                                         2 We kindly draw your attention that the relevant federation on cycling has been informed as well (Annex 2).   3 https://bssf.team Tel.: +37253828007 E-mail: [email protected]       Mr. Raivo Rand President Estonian Cyclists Union Tondi 84, 11316 Tallinn, Estonia [email protected] 24.03.2021 Dear Mr. Raivo Rand, With this letter, the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation (“BSSF”) would like to appeal to your federation and draw your closest attention to holding the 2021 UEC Track Elite European Championships (“the UEC Championship”) in Minsk, Belarus. Most regrettably, the BSSF has to state that the situation with human rights violations and safety and security issues in Belarus has been getting worse since the BSSF appealed to the Union Européenne de Cyclisme (“the UEC”) regarding the inappropriateness of holding the UEC Championships in Belarus. Thus, on March 8, 2021, the International Olympic Committee enlarged the range of measures taken against the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus (“the NOC Belarus”) on December 7, 2020, since the NOC Belarus had failed to heed the IOC decision and had not taken appropriate measures to protect Belarusian athletes from political discrimination. The international sports federations moved major sports tournaments such as the 2021 World Ice Hockey Championship and the 2021 UIPM Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships from Belarus for safety and security issues. The Union of European Football Associations (“the UEFA”) joined the stated decisions by stripping Belarus of the 2020/21 UEFA Futsal Champions League Finals. Moreover, the UEFA have initiated a disciplinary proceeding against the Belarus Football Federation on determination of severe human rights violations and contravention of fundamental ethical principles.  Alongside with the steps taken by the international sports society, on January 27, 2021, the ministers responsible for sports of the European Union countries appealed to the European Commission with a request to identify the appropriate policy approach to ensure that human rights are respected in all countries organizing major international sports events both within and outside of the European Union. The ministers underlined that holding such events in Belarus, where human rights violations and abuses have been reported and the physical and moral integrity of athletes is not axiomatic, is in contradiction with the Olympic Charter. In their turn, the Members of the European Parliament have directly pleaded with the UEC not to hold the UEC Championship in Belarus. Thus, the mission of the UEC is to contribute to the wellbeing of the world’s population and to urge personal right of every individual. The UEC ethical principles include in particular the obligation to not undertake any action that offends human dignity. Based on the stated commitments Members of the European Parliament asked the UEC to move the UEC Championship from Belarus so that to not validate the brutality of the Lukashenko dictatorship. Taking into account the declared position of the international society, Belarus absolutely cannot be a place for holding any major international sports events since human rights and dignity have not been respected there and people are subjected to violence, tortures and abuses. In view of the aforementioned, the BSSF respectfully calls your federation as the governing body for the cycling sport in your country to request the UEC to transfer the 2021 UEC Track Elite European Championships from Belarus. The violent regime of Lukashenko shall not be provided with an opportunity to exploit the cycling sport for simulating legitimacy. The Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation is ready to provide you with any details regarding the above-mentioned or other helpful information required. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via phone or via email. Yours sincerely, Aliaksandra Herasimenia OLY Chairwoman of the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation       2