CALL TO ACTION: Oppose russia and belarus competing under their national flags at the 2026 Paralympics

Sport Must Not Legitimise War!

In 2022, russia and belarus were rightly banned from Olympic competition after russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, using belarus as a staging ground. Their flags and national symbols are inseparable from a regime waging an illegal and genocidal war, killing civilians, and committing war crimes.

Nothing has changed since then. In fact, it has only gotten worse. russia has escalated its systematic destruction of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, deliberately targeting civilians. Over 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by russia.

Despite this, the International Paralympic Committee has chosen to reverse its own ban — allowing russia and ...

In 2022, russia and belarus were rightly banned from Olympic competition after russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, using belarus as a staging ground. Their flags and national symbols are inseparable from a regime waging an illegal and genocidal war, killing civilians, and committing war crimes.

Nothing has changed since then. In fact, it has only gotten worse. russia has escalated its systematic destruction of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, deliberately targeting civilians. Over 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by russia.

Despite this, the International Paralympic Committee has chosen to reverse its own ban — allowing russia and belarus to compete under their national flags at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milan-Cortina.

In response, Ukraine’s government has called on officials from the free world to boycott the Opening Ceremony. Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic and Estonia have confirmed they will not attend. Host nation Italy has expressed clear opposition to the Paralympics announcement. The EU Sports Commissioner is boycotting official events, and the UK Culture Secretary has publicly condemned the decision.

Australia has not yet taken a public stance.

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About

Campaign is being led by the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO), the peak body for 22 national community organisations throughout Australia. The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations is a member of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC), the global voice for the Ukrainian diaspora.

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Email your local Member of Parliament to oppose russia and belarus competing under their national flags at the 2026 Paralympics

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By sending an email through this platform, you can help ensure that elected representatives across the Federal Parliament recognise the importance of opposing the International Paralympic Committee's decision to allow russia and belarus to compete under their national flags at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milan-Cortina.

Ukraine's government has formally called on officials of the free world to boycott the Opening Ceremony, and teams from Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic and Estonia have already confirmed they will not attend. We have suggested text for your email, but you are welcome to write your own message.

Our political leaders, regardless of their party, are a force for good in sustaining Australia's principled stand against russia's war of aggression and in defence of the integrity of international sport.

We have suggested text for your email, but you are welcome to write your own message — original letters from constituents carry far more weight.

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Subject:

I am outraged that the International Paralympic Committee has decided to allow Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milan-Cortina.

Russia and Belarus were banned from Olympic and Paralympic competition in 2022 following Russia’s full-scale, illegal invasion of Ukraine.

At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, a limited number of athletes from Russia and Belarus were permitted to compete only as individual neutral athletes (AIN) - without flags, anthems or national symbols. This was necessary because Russian and Belarusian symbols are not neutral - they represent regimes waging a genocidal war, killing civilians, and committing documented war crimes.

Nothing has changed since then. In fact, it has only gotten worse. Russia has escalated its systematic destruction of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, deliberately freezing millions of civilians, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, into submission. Over 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed. Russia has embedded hundreds of war veterans into its Paralympic teams, turning the movement into a true instrument of state propaganda. And yet the IPC has chosen to reward this escalation by reversing its own ban and restoring Russia's flags and anthems.

While Ukrainian Paralympians train between air raid sirens and blackouts, mourning teammates killed by Russian strikes, Russia is permitted  to march under its own flag at Games built on the values of human dignity. This is not inclusion. It is complicity in the whitewashing of war crimes and their further enablement.

Ukraine's government has formally called on allies and officials of the free world to boycott the Opening Ceremony. Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, and Estonian officials have confirmed they will not attend. Host nation Italy has expressed absolute opposition, the EU Sports Commissioner is boycotting official events, Estonia's public broadcaster is refusing to air events with Russian athletes, and the UK Culture Secretary has condemned the decision.

Australia must stand with like-minded countries. I respectfully urge the Australian Government to:

- Publicly support the reversal of the decision to allow Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags and anthems at the 2026 Paralympic Games; and

- Ensure that Australian government and Paralympic officials do not attend the Opening Ceremony or other official events if the decision is not reversed, to avoid legitimising aggression.

I eagerly look forward to your response.

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