MOSCOW, Jun 16 Russia urges OSCE to condemn harassment of Russian athletes, deputy says Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OSCE Alexander Volgarev. «Such harmful Russophobic tendencies and groundless discrimination in the OSCE space deserve unequivocal condemnation both by the executive structures of our Organization and other participating States,» the diplomat said during his speech at a meeting of the Permanent Council OSCE on the ongoing gross violations of the rights of the Russian and Russian-speaking population by some Western states. According to Volgarev, «the indicated episodes (discrimination against Russian athletes — ed.) are nothing more than the result of widespread Russophobia and the practice of collective punishment.» He is convinced that they are suffering from this not only Russian athletes, but also fans around the world. «Moreover, as a dispute people who are deprived of the meaning of life and earnings, as well as millions of fans for whom sport is an outlet where they can forget about interethnic strife, economic problems and politics,» the Russian Deputy Representative to the OSCE concluded.
