An Olympic official on Wednesday warned athletes traveling to the Winter Olympics not to speak out about human rights issues for their own safety while in China.
This year’s Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing next month, however, in a virtual briefing, the runners were warned that any sporting behavior could result in a “certain penalty” for violating Olympic spirit or Chinese law.
Sanctions may include de-accreditation of athletes, as Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter states that no demonstration, whether political, religious or ethnic propaganda, is permitted in Olympic stadiums, sports facilities or other areas, i24 news.
“They don’t really offer much protection for athletes,” said Rob Koehler, Global Athlete Group general manager, who also added that they only wanted to continue listening while in Beijing after they went home, to hear voices.
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The Winter Olympics are due to begin on February 4, despite the boycotts of the United States, Canada, Britain, Japan and Australia for the Human Rights Games.