Internationellt krav på flytt av ishockey-VM från Vitryssland

I ett upprop inom ramen för den internationella människorättskampanjen ”Don’t Play with the Dictator!” uppmanas idag det internationella ishockeyförbundet att flytta världsmästerskapet i ishockey 2014 från Vitryssland. Östgruppen är en av organisationerna bakom uppropet, som också stöds av såväl EU-parlamentariker som nationella parlamentsledamöter, däribland från Sveriges riksdag.

- Att hålla ishockey-VM I Vitryssland innebär att stödja och legitimera en regim som grovt kränker sin befolknings mänskliga rättigheter, säger Östgruppens ordförande Martin Uggla.

Uppropet – som initierats av den internationella kampanjen ”Don’t Play with the Dictator!” – stöds av flera parlamentariker från olika länder, däribland den svenska riksdagsledamoten Caroline Szyber (KD). Också den slovakiske före detta ishockeystjärnan Peter Stastny – som nu representerar Slovakien i EU-parlamentet – har skrivit under uppropet.

Kampanjen ”Don’t Play with the Dictator!” inleddes våren 2012 och drivs av Östruppen och sju andra människorättsorganisationer från Tyskland, Norge, Schweiz, Tjeckien och Slovakien.

Hela uppropet kan läsas i sin helhet nedan, samt på kampanjens hemsida: www.minsk2014.no/dont-play-with-the-dictator-joint-appeal-may2013

För mer information, kontakta:

Martin Uggla
ordförande, Östgruppen för demokrati och mänskliga rättigheter
070-941 17 02
uggla@ostgruppen.se
www.ostgruppen.se
www.vitryssland.wordpress.com

International Ice Hockey Federation

President René Fasel

2 May 2013

Don’t Play With the Dictator!

Dear Mr Fasel,

As the official opening of the Ice Hockey World Championship in Stockholm is near, we take this opportunity to bring up again The International Ice Hockey Federation’s decision to let Belarus host the next IIHF World Championship in 2014. This decision allows the World Championship to take place in a country marred by human rights violations, contrary to what we believe are the values of IIHF.

We urge the IIHF and the representatives of the national IIHF member organisations to support the victims of human rights violations by removing the 2014 IIHF World Championship from Belarus at the next meeting of the IIHF General Congress in Stockholm in May 2013.

The country is ruled by President Aleksander Lukashenko whose prisons currently hold at least 11 political prisoners. Among them we find Nobel Peace Prize nominee and human rights defender Ales Bialiatski and members of the political opposition. In Belarus, elections are falsified, free media is suppressed, and youth are harassed and persecuted for their opinions.

We do not want to turn a sports event into a political spectacle. Unfortunately, we are convinced that is exactly how Aleksander Lukashenko will use the event. To host the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship is an honor for any ice-hockey-loving nation; unfortunately, it also poses a great opportunity for Aleksander Lukashenko to shed a positive light on himself and his regime.

We believe that by allowing the 2014 World Championship to take place in Belarus, you  support and legitimize a regime which violates the human rights of the people of Belarus in an alarming way. You would be playing with a dictator. The IIHF World Championship should only take place in Belarus after the Government of Belarus has proven progress in the field of human rights, most importantly by releasing all political prisoners.

This appeal is part of a joint campaign, “Don’t Play with the Dictator!”. Read more about the campaign here: www.minsk2014.no.

Yours sincerely,

Norwegian Helsinki Committee (Norway)
Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights (Germany)
Östgruppen – Swedish Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (Sweden)
Freedom House (United States of America)
Human Rights in Belarus (Germany)
Civic Belarus (Czech Republic)
Kharkiv Human Rights Group (Ukraine)
Gefangenes Wort (Germany)
Liberal International (United Kingdom)
Info Belarus (Sweden)

Marek Migalski (Member of European Parliament)
Werner Schulz (Member of European Parliament)
Peter Stastny (Member of European Parliament)
Manuel Sarrazin (Member of German Bundestag)
Marieluise Beck (Member of German Bundestag)
Caroline Szyber (Member of Swedish Parliament)