Sports minister Chigwedere barred from Olympics

Sports minister Chigwedere barred from Olympics

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By Agencies

AENEAS Chigwedere, Zimbabwe's Education and Sports minister has been banned from the Athens Olympics in Greece as part of the European Union's sanctions against the country for human and civil rights violations, a senior official said Tuesday.

Chigwedere joins Myanmar's Brigadier General Thura Aye Myint who is also barred from entering the European Union as part of the bloc's political sanctions against the two countries.

"We are just complying with EU rules," a senior Greek official told AFP.

It was unclear if the two men planned to visit the Games, which open on Friday, or if they held valid Olympic accreditations.

Last week, EU member Greece announced it was barring Belarus' sports minister Yuri Sivakov from attending the Games after Brussels set into motion his inclusion onto a blacklist of people to be denied entry visas to the 25-country bloc over alleged links to human rights abuses.

In February, EU interior and justice ministers adopted an extended list of 95 Zimbabwean officials who are banned from entering EU countries and a freeze on their assets.

The EU has also tough political sanctions in place against military-governed Myanmar to press the regime for democratic reforms.
AFP
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