An official with China’s Olympics organizing committee has threatened athletes participating in the upcoming games with “punishment” for speech that violates Chinese law. “Any expression that is in line with the Olympic spirit I’m sure will be protected,” Yang Shu, deputy director general of international relations for the Beijing Organizing Committee, said on Wednesday,
as reported by The Washington Post. “Any behavior or speech that is against the Olympic spirit, especially against the Chinese laws and regulations, are also subject to certain punishment.”
The remarks come just one day after
human rights activists warned athletes that they could face criminal prosecution if they criticized China during the Beijing Olympics.
While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has assured athletes that they will have freedom of speech while competing in the communist nation, the official Olympic Charter prohibits political protests during medal ceremonies and requires participants to follow “applicable public law.”
