KEEP BELARUS OFF THE RINK

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Despite a deplorable human rights record, Belarus will host the 2014 World Ice Hockey Championship. German MP Marina Schuster argues organisers should take the competition elsewhere

To say that sport is to be kept separate from politics misses the point. Considering that decisions to give away major events like the Olympic Games or European Football Championships always have a political component, such view is untenable. The case of the 2014 World Ice Hockey Championship in Belarus shows that sports can, in fact, be very political – especially when it comes to the abuse of sporting events.

Since his ascent to power, President Alexander Lukashenko — like no other authoritarian leader — has been exploiting sports, in particular Ice Hockey, to consolidate and enlarge his ruthless security apparatus. The structures he installed around his favorite hobby have provided a shady arena in which deals are forged to the detriment of his own people.

Read more on Belarus and the ice hockey championship on Index on Censorship >>

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