The British Athletes Commission (BAC) has called for Russian and Belarusian Paralympians to be banned from competing in the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The games are due to get underway in Beijing on Friday and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have announced that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to compete as neutrals under the Paralympic flag.
In a statement, the IPC said: "The RPC (Russian Paralympic Committee) and NPC Belarus will participate as neutrals at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.
"They will compete under the Paralympic flag and not be included in the medal table."
However, the BAC have questioned the IPC's decision, calling for 'extreme action' to be taken as a result of the invasion.
"The situation in Ukraine is truly horrifying, and we join with the sporting and wider world in condemning the Russian attack and supporting the Ukrainian people," a statement from the BAC read.
"As the representative body for British athletes, we have been in conversation with our members on the developing situation.
"We share the feeling that banning athletes from competitions because of events over which they have no control is an extreme and unusual move, however the current circumstances in Ukraine demand such extreme actions.
"We stand behind those making proactive moves in an attempt to bring about a return to peace and stability, for Ukrainians and the entire world."
IPC President Andrew Parsons said: "The IPC Governing Board is united in its condemnation of these actions and was in agreement that they cannot go unnoticed or unaddressed.
"What we have decided upon is the harshest possible punishment we can hand down within our constitution and the current IPC rules.
"Post-Beijing 2022, we will also take measures with our 206 member organisations to determine whether any breaches of the Olympic Truce for future Paralympic Games could lead to the possible suspension or termination of an NPC.
"Our members will also be invited to decide whether we suspend or terminate the membership of NPC Russia or NPC Belarus."
