Nadine Dorries has hit out at the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the upcoming Winter Paralympics in Beijing despite the invasion of Ukraine.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed its decision in a statement on Wednesday, just two days before the Games are set to get underway in China on Friday.
On Monday, the International Olympic Committee's executive board recommended that international sports federations should exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes, teams and officials from international competitions wherever possible.
Russian athletes were already set to compete under the Russian Paralympic Committee banner as part of earlier sanctions against the country for state-sponsored doping, but following the invasion of Ukraine the IPC decided athletes could compete as neutrals under the Paralympic flag.
Belarusian athletes will also compete under a neutral flag due to the country's role in the invasion as well.
Dorries, the UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, took to social media to make a statement condemning the decision to allow athletes to participate.
“I’m extremely disappointed in the IPC - this is the wrong decision and I call on them to urgently reconsider,” Dorries’ statement read.
“They must join the rest of the world in condemning this barbaric invasion by banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing.
“We will consider the full range of options in protest of this decision, in consultation with UK Sport and the British Paralympic Association. I will also be meeting with my international counterparts this week to discuss how we can respond collectively.”
Russia began its invasion of neighbouring Ukraine last Thursday, with a number of attacks taking place across major cities such as the capital, Kyiv, along with Donetsk, Odessa and Kharkiv.
The IPC statement read: “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.”
The IPC added that it will host a General Assembly this year after the Paralympics and vote on whether to make compliance with the Olympic Truce a membership requirement. Members will also decide whether to suspend or terminate the memberships of the Russian Paralympic Committee and Belarus Paralympic Committee.
The British Paralympic Association had issued a statement on Monday saying it could not see how allowing Russian or Belarusian athletes to compete in Beijing was ‘compatible with the objectives of the Paralympic movement’.
“In deciding what actions the IPC should take, it was fundamental that we worked within the framework of our new constitution to remain politically neutral and within the IPC Handbook, the rules and regulations that govern the Paralympic Movement,” said IPC president Andrew Parsons
“Such neutrality is firmly anchored in the genuine belief that sport holds the transformative power to overcome our shortcomings, and summon from within us the best of our humanity, especially in the darkest of moments.
“What we have decided upon is the harshest possible punishment we can hand down within our constitution and the current IPC rules.”
