EU commissioner to skip Olympics because of Russia’s human rights record
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — European Union commissioner Viviane Reding said Tuesday she would not be attending the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, over that country’s treatment of minorities.
“I will certainly not go to Sochi as long as minorities are treated the way they are under the current Russian legislation,” Reding, EU Commissioner for Justice, Citizenship and Fundamental Rights, said in a tweet on Tuesday.
While it was unclear whether Reding had been invited or would have gone as an EU representative or a private citizen, her decision to openly oppose Russia’s recent legislation was the most vocal statement by a politician to date, according to Reuters.
Reding joins German President Joachim Gauck in boycotting the games.
Gauck decision also comes in protest of human rights violations and the harassment of Russian opposition political figures, Der Spiegel reported Sunday. The magazine said the Russian government was informed of his decision last week.
more: http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2013/12/eu-commissioner-to-skip-olympics-because-of-russias-human-rights-record/#.Uqds5dTna70
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