EU lawmakers ask UEFA to ban Belarus from Euro 2024
BRUSSELS — A bunch of greater than 100 European Union lawmakers is urging European soccer’s governing physique to ban Belarus from qualifying for the 2024 European Championship.
MEPs from throughout the political spectrum wrote in a letter despatched to UEFA president Alexander Ceferin that the Belarusian nationwide group shouldn’t be in a position to compete due to the nation’s horrible human rights file.
“These are not only UEFA values at stake, but also UEFA’s reputation and image within democratic societies and the international community,” they mentioned.
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Last week, a courtroom in Belarus sentenced exiled opposition chief Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to fifteen years in jail after a trial in absentia on fees together with conspiring to overthrow the federal government, the newest transfer in a months-long effort by the federal government to suppress dissent.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is a detailed ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin in his conflict towards Ukraine. Russia used Belarusian territory to ship troops into Ukraine greater than a yr in the past initially of the conflict.
Russia — which is already excluded from UEFA and FIFA competitions — has maintained troops and weapons in Belarus and the 2 international locations have often performed joint drills as a part of their navy alliance.
This stance left Lukashenko much more remoted in Europe, the place his nation faces sanctions from the European Union for each its function within the conflict and his repression of home opposition.
All Belarusian groups have been banned from internet hosting worldwide soccer video games and play house video games in impartial international locations, with no followers allowed to attend. But UEFA determined final yr to let Belarus enter the Euro 2024 qualifying draw regardless of a authorities request from tournament-host Germany to take away the group as a result of the nation is a navy ally of Russia.
“The very fact of participating in UEFA Championship by the Belarusian national team will be later used by Lukashenko and his propaganda team to prove he is well-received in the international community,” the MEPs wrote of their letter Wednesday.
“This would be an offense to the victims of the Russian aggression in Ukraine and to all the Belarusians who were forced to flee from their homeland as well as those who stayed in Belarus and now must live in fear and terror,” they added.
Belarus is ready to start out its qualifying marketing campaign towards Switzerland on March 25 in impartial Serbia, a choice that has triggered some unease with the Swiss. Players with household roots in Kosovo and Albania — together with Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri — might face a hostile reception within the metropolis of Novi Sad.
Israel, Romania, Andorra and Kosovo are additionally within the group.
Most Olympic sports activities have excluded athletes from Russia and Belarus after Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But fencing and judo have lately reopened entry to athletes from the 2 international locations forward of qualifying occasions for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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