HRW urges Olympics action over Saudi ban

The International Olympic Committee has been urged to take a harder line against Saudi Arabia over its refusal to send female athletes to the Games.

As the world prepares for the 2012 Olympics, US-based Human Rights Watch said the Saudi government was "systematically discriminating against women in sports and physical education... with no penalty from the international Olympic authorities". Human Rights Watch called on the IOC to make ending discrimination against women in sports in the kingdom a condition for Saudi Arabia’s participation in Olympic sporting events, including the 2012 London Games.

“‘No women allowed,’ is the kingdom’s message to Saudi women and girls who want to play sports,” said Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch.


(2012-02-18/arabianbusiness)