Vital Rymasheuski: IIHF is abettor of Lukashenka regime

A ban on using the national white-red-white flag should be lifted completely.

Vital Rymasheuski, a co-head of the organising committee to found the Belarusian Christian Democracy party, spoke to charter97.org about permission to bring Belarusian national to matches and a ban to wave them.

“This compromise looks like derision over Belarusian democratic society on the one hand and as a concession to civil opinion of Europeans and Belarusians on the other hand. I'd like to hear Carl Bildt's personal reaction to the situation. One can hold Soviet flags unfurled, but there are restrictions concerning white-red-white flags. I hope the decision will be reconsidered and the Belarusian national flag won't be discriminated in Europe,” the politician thinks.

He stressed sport had never been kept out of politics.

“Those saying that sport stays out of politics either lie or don't know the real state of things. Absolutely all states give money to develop professional sports and promote the country's image in the world. Lukashenka, both inside and outside Belarus, uses the Belarusian sport to legitimate his regime in the world, promote his governmental system and himself,” Vital Rymasheuski said.

He is sure that the International Ice Hockey Federation made great concessions to Lukashenka's regime by agreeing to hold the world championship in Belarus.

“The IIHF, in fact, joined the repression against Belarusian democratic activists and the Belarusian riot police. People are being arrested and beaten for white-red-white flags. The same happened at the recent games in Sweden. It means the situation will be even worse at the championship in Minsk. Promoting the regime will mean complicity in the regime's crimes. Responsibility for that will lie with the IIHF,” the politician noted.