The tournament's governing bodies made the decision today on the condition no players will be allowed to accept funding from the two nations, display associated flags or symbols, or express support for Russia's invasion.Ĭulture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: "Throughout Putin's ongoing war in Ukraine, we have been clear that Russian and Belarusian athletes representing their country should not be permitted in domestic and international sporting competitions. The UK culture secretary has backed Wimbledon's decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals. There were 24 cases of sexual violence by Ukrainian personnel recorded. "We did not find a sustained pattern of severe ill-treatment in more permanent places of internment," he said. The UN Human Rights Office documented Ukrainian security forces carried out 91 enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions, 53% of whom had been tortured or ill-treated soon after capture, he said. Russian military forces had carried out "numerous summary executions" and "targeted attacks" on civilians, as well as 621 enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions. More than 14,000 wounded civilians have been verified, largely caused by "wide-impact" explosives used by Russia, he said. "I speak for many when I say that I will never forget the photographs of a dying, heavily pregnant woman being carried on a stretcher from the bombed-out ruins of a Mariupol maternity hospital in March 2022." This madness must end, and peace be found," he said. Prisoners have been tortured, summary executions carried out, and children forcibly deported, Volker Turk told the Human Rights Council. More than 8,400 civilians have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine, according to the UN high commissioner for Human Rights. Mr Lloyd added: "We have absolute sympathy with the Ukrainian players and we will ensure that we maintain our very best efforts for their welfare." "But we also have to try to ensure that we can maintain here in Britain the exposure to the professional tennis tour, and that's our responsibility as the national governing body for tennis." "Our support, in terms of the Ukrainian people, remains absolute. Ukraine's foreign minister has called the decision "immoral" and called on the UK to ban the visas of athletes who intend to compete at the tournament.Īsked by Sky News to respond to the comments, Mr Lloyd said: "There's no doubt that problems in tennis or sport more widely are insignificant by comparison to what is happening in the country of Ukraine. "Having said that, we have worked together over the last few months very hard to put in place a form of neutrality declaration that will commit those players to playing as neutral athletes." Mr Lloyd said: "We were very disappointed with that reaction and we have indeed opposed those sanctions to the extent that we are able to. The LTA, which operates numerous British tournaments, and the All England Club, which owns the Wimbledon championships, announced today they will allow Russian and Belarusian candidates to compete as neutrals. Scott Lloyd said the LTA had a responsibility to maintain British tennis exposure, after the body was handed a seven-figure fine and threatened with losing its tournaments over the ban. Penalties imposed on UK tennis governing bodies by the tours for barring Russian players last year "made it impossible" to maintain the ban at Wimbledon in 2023, according to the chief executive of the Lawn and Tennis Association (LTA). The WSJ "vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich", it said. The phrase "he who sows the wind will reap the whirlwind" is thought to come from a number of proverbs warning of serious consequences to bad actions, and is one Vladimir Putin has used in previous comments made about the West.įor context: Russia's security service alleges Mr Gershkovich "was acting on instructions from the American side to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret". RIA cited the ministry as saying that Mr Gershkovich, 31, would be provided with consular support in accordance with its internal procedures. Joe Biden called on Russia to "let him go" today, and the White House press secretary called the allegations "ridiculous" and Mr Gershkovich's arrest "unacceptable" yesterday. Without specifying what the threats were, the ministry said the US reaction to the detainment of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on suspicion of espionage was "revealing", state-owned news agency RIA reported. The Russian foreign ministry has warned the US will "reap the whirlwind" if it continues to make threats over the arrest of a US reporter, according to state media.
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