Jacques Rogge
President
International Olympic Committee
Château de Vidy
1007 Lausanne, Switzerland
Dear Mr. Rogge, Customizing the Message is requiredCustomizing the Message is required
Human Rights Watch has documented serious human rights abuses linked to the 2014 Sochi Olympics. These abuses, including forced evictions without compensation, exploitation of migrant workers building Olympic venues, and pressure on civil society actors and journalists, are in clear violation of the “human dignity” principles embodied in the Olympic Charter.
I urge the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to take the following steps:
1) Migrant worker abuses: The IOC should insist its Russian partner Olympstroy and its subcontractors for Olympic construction pay workers, including unpaid back wages, and provide them with a means to safely make complaints against abusive employers. Working hours and days off should be consistent with Russian law, and housing and food (when part of compensation) should meet basic standards.
2) Pressure on civil society and the media: The IOC should insist on freedom of the press for foreign and Russian journalists alike, as required by the Olympic Charter, and on the ability of civil society activists to freely research and document abuses related to the Sochi Games without fear of retribution.
3) Environmental destruction: The IOC should insist the Russian authorities compensate and assist Sochi residents whose homes or health have been harmed by the Games’ preparations. The Russian government should ensure all Olympics-related construction follow the law and pledge to repair any environmental damage.
4) Forced evictions: The IOC should insist that Russian authorities stop the illegal eviction of people from their homes without adequate compensation as it builds Olympic venues, and refrain from suing homeowners as a way to pressure them.
5) Permanent human rights reform for the Olympic movement: The IOC should establish a standing committee to monitor Olympics-related human rights concerns to avoid similar abuses in future host countries, as recommended by Human Rights Watch (www.hrw.org/news/2009/02/23/human-rights-watch-submission-2009-olympic-congress).
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Your name
