IOC summit decides to uphold sanctions imposed on Russian, Belarusian athletes

MOSCOW. Dec 9 (Interfax) - The Summit of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made a decision to uphold sanctions imposed on Russian and Belarusian athletes in light of the situation in Ukraine, the IOC press service said.

"The vast majority of the participants agreed that the sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian states and governments, as those responsible for this blatant breach of the Olympic Truce and the Olympic Charter, must remain firmly in place," the press service said.

The ban on organizing, hosting and supporting any international competition in Russia and Belarus, as well as displaying national flags, colors, and anthems by Russian and Belarusian athletes, remains in effect.

In February, the IOC recommended that international federations suspend Russian and Belarusian athletes from their competitions due to the situation in Ukraine. The majority of federations followed these recommendations.