The International Paralympic Committee has suspended the membership of the Russia and Belarus Paralympic Committee

The International Paralympic Committee voted to immediately suspend the National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) of Russia and Belarus, jeopardising the participation of their para-athletes in the 2024 @Paralympics.

Athletes from both nations were previously forbidden from competing in the March 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, for which Belarus served as a staging ground. Russia’s suspension was approved by the IPC’s extraordinary General Assembly in Berlin on Wednesday by a vote of 64 to 39, with 16 abstentions. Belarus’ NPC was suspended by a vote of 54-45, with 18 abstentions.

Both NPCs were suspended for “inability to comply with their membership obligations under the IPC Constitution.” The IPC said in a statement that “Due to their suspension, NPC Russia and NPC Belarus lose all rights and privileges of IPC membership, in accordance with the IPC Constitution.”