36 MEPs signed an open letter to Mr Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, to urge him to follow the FIFA's own rules, and do everything they can to improve the human rights situation in the countries they chose to host the World Cup, and its training camps.
In the Human Rights Policy of FIFA we can read as follows: “where the freedoms of human rights defenders are at risk, FIFA will take adequate measures for their protection, including by using its leverage with the relevant authorities”.
FIFA must enforce this commitment, in the face of the current human rights situation in Russia and Chechnya.
Given its unique position, FIFA and its Mr Infantino are personally obliged to make every effort to influence the Russian and Chechen authorities to free Oyub Titiev and thus minimise a scandalous situation when sports is used to hide and legitimise grave human rights violations, such as in the case of today’s Chechnya and Russia.
You can access the complete letter here.
