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Petition launched to boycott 2024 Paris Olympic Games

26 July 2023 10:27 (UTC +04:00)

Petition was launched regarding the boycott of the Paris Olympic Games, APA reports.

The petition was started by Rasul Jafarov, the chairman of the Baku Human Rights Club Public Union.

Text of the petition follows:

"According to the Olympic Charter, the main goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity. It is highly questionable whether this goal will be achieved ahead of the July 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

On June 27, 2023, the killing of a 17-year-old teenager of Arab origin by the police by shooting him in the throat without any serious threat or necessity in Nanterre, Paris, resulted in mass crisis in France. The incident and its outcomes put the issue of security and safety of athletes and delegations consisting of different races and different religious beliefs from various countries, who supposed to attend Paris Games one year later, on spot. There are many other relevant cases raising concerns on human rights and discrimination.

According to the Declaration of Principles of Tolerance adopted in Paris on November 16, 1995, tolerance is respect for and acceptance of the rich diversity of world cultures, forms of self-expression and means of being human. Tolerance is the harmony of diversity. This is not only a moral obligation, but also a political and legal requirement. The principles of the Olympic Movement, formed over many years, include the provision of safety during the Games, respect for universal values such as tolerance and human rights. In this context, our Campaign believes that now when just 1 year left before the 2024 Olympic Games, official Paris must declare its obligation to respect and protect the abovementioned norms and principles and provide additional guarantees that the Games will be held in safe conditions. Otherwise, boycotting the 2024 Paris Olympic Games would be the most correct response to the current situation.

We call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to immediately raise issues of safety and security of delegations, importance to respect their beliefs, religions, races of athletes before the relevant government agencies of France and urge them to publicly provide plans of activities concerning the issues raised. In absence of adequate response, the IOC must start to initiate appropriate procedures to review the decision to hold the Games in Paris. At the same time, we call on the national Olympic organizations that are members of the Olympic family to raise this issue before both the International Olympic Committee and French officials, to demand additional guarantees that the Games on Paris in July 2024 will be conducted under safe conditions, and to refuse to participate in the Games if the necessary steps are not taken.

This is a public petition, everybody who cares about tolerance and human dignity could sign it. Express your solidarity! Join the campaign and sign the petition!"