MOSCOW. April 3 (Interfax) - The latest remarks by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach demonstrate his unwillingness to separate sport from politics, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"Of course, we cannot agree with Mr. Bach's attitude to the planned hosting of major international sport events by Russia. This is a kind of usurpation of the right to sport, the spirit of sport, and it is unacceptable to everyone," Peskov said in response to a request for comment.
"On the whole, the unpreparedness and reluctance of the IOC head to dissociate himself from politics is what does the greatest damage to the Olympic movement," Peskov said.
As for information about the IOC commission monitoring public remarks made by Russian athletes, Peskov said, "If the commission were monitoring different kinds of statements to prevent politics from being brought into sport and its work concerned everyone, that would be understandable. But if the IOC commission's work applies to Russian athletes only, this is hardly understandable and definitely contravenes the principles of the Olympic family, the so-called one, as we can say now."