World leaders guilty of human rights abuses banned from London OlympicsMay 23, 2012 - 19:59 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - World leaders and politicians guilty of human rights abuses will be banned from entering Britain for the 2012 London Olympics, the foreign ministry said Wednesday, May 23, AFP reported. "Entry will be refused where an individual's presence at the Games or in the UK would not be conducive to the public good," Jeremy Browne, minister of state at the Foreign Office, told parliament in a written statement. "Where there is independent, reliable and credible evidence that an individual has committed human rights abuses, the individual will not normally be permitted to enter the UK." The announcement comes after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that he was hoping to attend the London Olympics, which start on July 27, but that British authorities were reluctant to allow him. "I would like to be beside the Iranian athletes at the Olympic Games in London to support them, but (the British) have issues with my presence," Ahmadinejad said last week, according to Tehran's official news agency IRNA. Browne added that all international visitors seeking to come to Britain for the Olympics and subsequent Paralympics would be subject to normal immigration controls, while anyone under a European Union or United Nations travel ban would also be barred. Leaders including Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Syria's Bashar al-Assad are banned from the European Union, while Britain has previously turned away politicians including Dutch far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders. A sovereigns' lunch last week for Queen Elizabeth's diamond jubilee caused several diplomatic headaches for Britain, with protests over the attendance of the kings of Bahrain and Swaziland, whose regimes are accused of rights abuses. Top stories Armenian gymnast, Olympic bronze medalist Artur Davtyan has reached the finals of the World Cup. Gor Manvelyan has denied reports alleging that he has expressed a desire to one day play for the French national team. Roma midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is not considering FC Spartak Moscow as his next haven, according to fresh reports. 10 Armenian lifters will compete in the 2021 World Championships scheduled to be held from 7 to 17 December in Tashkent. Partner news | Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. Armenia, Russia discuss life extension of Metsamor nuclear plant Issues regarding the extension of life of the 2nd power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant were discussed in Yerevan. Armenians stage more campaigns against territorial concessions to Azerbaijan Protesters blocked more roads across Armenia on Friday, April 26 in continuing attempts to scuttle territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. |