Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina does not fully support the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladislav Geraskevich for honoring the memory of fallen athletes, the prime minister stated on Twitter, according to LETA.
She emphasized that such a step does not correspond to the Olympic spirit or the fundamental principles of respect and solidarity.
"Commemorating the memory is not political propaganda, but humanity," said Silina.
The President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, also expressed criticism of the IOC's decision on Twitter, noting that it is simply wrong.
In turn, Foreign Minister Baiba Braže stated that Russia kills innocent Ukrainians daily, emphasizing that Russia is not neutral.
She noted that Geraskevich was merely honoring the memory of his fallen teammates. "This is humane, not political," Braže believes.
As previously reported, on Thursday, shortly before the competition, the IOC disqualified Ukrainian skeleton athlete Geraskevich, who refused to change his helmet featuring images of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes and coaches who died in the war initiated by Russia.
