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Peng Shuai: Human Rights Watch accuses IOC of ‘cleansing’ sports in case of Chinese tennis star


During Tuesday’s virtual press conference, HRW China Director Sophie Richardson denounced the IOC’s role in cooperating with Chinese authorities on the re-emergence of Peng Shuai.

“In 2008, we hope that they [the IOC] will show some spine and oblique Chinese government to fulfill some basic promises,” Richardson said, referring to when China first hosted the Olympic Games.
Richardson added: “I almost think about those days because, if nothing else, over the past few days the IOC has shown how desperate it is to keep an Olympics on track no matter the cost. human costs. Beijing Winter Olympics. Beijing was the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

On Sunday, the IOC said in a statement that its president, Thomas Bach, had a 30-minute video call with three-time athlete Peng Shuai, attended by a Chinese sports official. Quoc and an IOC official.

During the call, Peng appeared “fine” and “comfortable”, the statement said, adding that she “wants her privacy to be respected.” The IOC did not explain how the video call with Peng was organized.

Image of Peng Shuai competing in her women's singles first round match against Nao Hibino of Japan on day two of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

‘Big surprise’

HRW also suggested that the IOC should have done more to protect the Chinese Olympic athletes.

“It’s a whole other level of seeing Thomas Bach, in a picture with a woman, Peng Shuai, under so much pressure we might reasonably assume from other circumstances, to refute her allegation of sexual assault, rather than seek to do everything in his and the organization’s right to call for it and ensure that she can afford to support and investigation and prosecution can be assured,” Richardson said.

In response, the IOC told CNN that “the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the world together in peaceful competition.” “They are the most powerful symbol of unity in all of our diversity that the world knows,” the IOC statement said.

“In our fragile world, the power of sport to bring the world together, despite all existing differences, gives us all hope for a better future. .

“Given its diverse involvement in the Olympic Games, the IOC must remain neutral on all global political issues.

“At all times, the IOC recognizes and upholds the human rights enshrined in both the Fundamental Principles of the Olympic Charter and in its Code of Ethics.

“We have a responsibility to ensure the respect of the Olympic Rules in relation to the Olympic Games and take this responsibility very seriously.

“All interested parties must ensure that the principles of the Olympic Charter will be respected within the framework of the Games, and both organizers Japan and China have done so for the Tokyo Olympic Games. 2020 and the upcoming Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.”

The ability to report in China

Concern was raised during HRW’s press conference about the possibility of reporting in China and how that could impact Peng’s ongoing situation.

“It is very difficult to report on what is happening in China,” said Human Rights Watch’s Global Initiative Director, Minky Worden.

“Chinese officials are preventing more than one United Nation support investigations into human rights abuses, but also journalists the world relies on to reveal new abuses.

“So it was a surprise on Sunday to see the president of the International Olympic Committee and senior officials interview three-time Chinese athlete and former world number one doubles tennis player Peng Shuai over the video,” Worden added.

Peng, 35, went missing on 2 November after she said on Chinese social media that she had been sexually assaulted and forced to have sex with Zhang Gaoli, 75, China’s deputy prime minister since five years. 2013 to 2018.

The allegations were censored in mainland China. CNN’s broadcast signal was also censored during Peng’s reporting.

Earlier, on Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry said the government hoped “malicious rumors” about Peng’s health and whereabouts would stop, and that her case should not be dismissed. politicize.

Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, declined to comment on whether the Chinese government would open an investigation into Peng’s alleged sexual assault against former Vice Premier Zhang. He repeated previous comments to reporters, saying that Peng’s situation “is not a matter of diplomacy.”

Peng, a two-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion and one of China’s top tennis players, has publicly accused Zhang of forcing her to have sex at his home, according to the photo. Screenshot of a deleted social media post on 2/11.

Her disappearance from public life for more than two weeks following the allegation sparked a wave of international concern, with Women’s Tennis Association and the United Nations called for an investigation into her alleged sexual assault.

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