Rada demanding full cancellation of Kharlan disqualification and official apology from Fencing Federation

The Verkhovna Rada demands that the International Fencing Federation cancel the disqualification of Ukrainian sportswoman Olha Kharlan and officially apologize to her.

A total of 320 MPs voted for the draft resolution No. 9554, with the minimum required of 226, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

The Ukrainian Parliament calls on the International Fencing Federation to bring to justice all persons involved in the decision to disqualify Kharlan, as well as to disqualify the Russian athlete Anna Smirnova for life for a provocative act contrary to the Olympic spirit.

The Verkhovna Rada calls on international sports federations to abolish the obligation to shake hands or bow in competitions in which Ukrainian, Russian or Belarusian athletes participate.

According to parliamentarians, the International Olympic Committee and international sports federations should cancel the decision on the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international sports competitions, since the provocation committed against Kharlan proved the absence of "neutral athletes" in the Russian Federation and Belarus.

The Verkhovna Rada appeals to the parliaments and governments of the democratic states of the world to join forces in strengthening friendship, mutual understanding and justice in the international sports movement and combating the use of sports for political purposes.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on July 27, Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan defeated Russian Anna Smirnova under neutral status at the World Fencing Championship, but refused to shake her hand after the match. For this, Kharlan was removed from the championship.

After that, on July 27, the president of the National Fencing Federation of Ukraine (NFFU), Mykhailo Iliashev, announced that the NFFU will appeal the decision on disqualification of Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan.

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