In a recent interview, Finland's Sports Minister Paavo Arhinmaki stated that he will not be attending the Olympics Opening Ceremony in Sochi. He adds that politicians should not go to Russia to "support human rights violations, restrictions to freedom of speech and the oppression of sexual minorities." Recently, Swedish sports minister Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth also announced that she will not attend the Opening Ceremony on February 7th. The reason behind this decision is her belief in the importance of human rights. She will attend the games to support the athletes.
January 22, 2014