FARE rejects claims of being biased in relation to Ukraine
KYIV, September 30 /Ukrinform/. Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) has rejected allegations of the bias of its observers who drafted a report on the behavior of Ukrainian football fans during the World Cup qualifier against San Marino on September 6, 2013, according to a statement posted on the organization's official website, Radio Liberty has reported.
"All observers sent by FARE are from an international pool of specialists. They have knowledge of the football environments they are sent into and are neutral and unbiased in their affiliations. Neutrality is a guaranteed and fundamental part of the system," reads the statement.
The organization said that it had been disappointing "to see some of the commentary on FARE staff and volunteers in Ukraine" and added that it plans to appeal to the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU) for assistance in the fight against racial profiling in future.
"Any attempts to intimidate, or encourage attacks on, FARE staff are misguided and will trigger an alert to international human rights bodies," reads the statement.
As reported, on September 27, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee punished Ukraine for the use of Nazi symbols by Ukrainian fans during the Ukraine-San Marino qualifier at the Arena Lviv on September 6. The committee that Ukraine's next World Cup qualifier against Poland in Kharkiv on October 11, 2013 would be played without spectators.
Shortly before the consideration of the case fans from Ukraine sent a letter to the FIFA president asking him not to punish Ukraine and said that they have questions to the competence and impartiality of FARE experts.
On Saturday, September 28, the Nationalist Youth Congress announced its intention to appeal to FIFA with the request to exclude OUN-UPA symbols, banners with the portraits of Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych and a heraldic sign "Galician Lion" from the list of discriminatory signs.
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