11 September 2013 | By Joe Morgan Thomas Bach, the new International Olympics Committee president, considers Russian president Vladimir Putin as a close friend. According to reported claims, the 59-year-old former Olympic gold medal fencer was answering a question from newspaper The Australian when he stopped to take a phone call. From none other than Russia’s president Vladimir Putin. ‘Yes it was Mr Putin,’ Bach confirmed, stressing ‘We did not discuss the law.’ The law in question is the ban on ‘gay propaganda’, the subject of worldwide protests and outrage in the months before the Sochi Winter Olympics in February. Bach told the paper the ‘highest sources in Russia’ had assured the IOC the Olympic Charter preventing discrimination would be upheld. However Bach confirmed earlier GSN reports that said the IOC would not permit any political propaganda such as painting your fingernails and wearing rainbow-colored pins. The German replaced Jacques Rogge, who had served as the president of the IOC for 12 years. On Tuesday (9 September), it was reported the head of Sochi had pleaded with the IOC to stop the negative press about the forthcoming Olympic Games. A senior IOC member, meanwhile, has said sponsors are getting nervous over the fallout of possible demonstrations in Sochi. Major sponsors include Coca-Cola, Panasonic, McDonalds and Visa. Earlier this month, Vladimir Putin gave an interview where he said gay people are not discriminated against in Russia. While the Russian government has said gay athletes and spectators have no need to worry at the Sochi Winter Olympics, they say the propaganda law will stay enforced. Protests and rallies will also be strictly prohibited in Sochi and the surrounding areas. On 3 September, 33 events in over 20 countries around the world held protests demanding leaders challenge the Russian ‘gay propaganda’ law at the G20 summit.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 18:07:58 +0000
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