"Democratic Bulgaria" calls for maintaining sanctions against Russia in sports

The parliamentary group of "Democratic Bulgaria" delivered a declaration from the rostrum of the National Assembly regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sporting forums and the decisions of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In the statement, presented by MP Kaloyan Ivanov, concern is expressed regarding the trend of gradually lifting restrictions on Russia. According to Ivanov, as long as the war in Ukraine continues, retreating from sanctions risks showing that the price of aggression can be forgotten.

The MP emphasized that he makes a clear distinction between the individual athlete and the state. He stated that he does not support the punishment of athletes who do not participate in propaganda and do not support the war, but insists that national symbols—the flag and the anthem—cannot be used by a state that is waging an aggressive war.

"I am not against Russian athletes, but I am against the aggressor being presented as a normal participant in the family created to bring peace," Ivanov stated. He added that sport should be a bridge, not a tool for legitimizing totalitarian regimes and violence.

The declaration also recalls the initiative of nine European countries calling on the European Commission to stop funding international sports federations that allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes, in order to preserve the moral basis for sanctions.