BERLIN (AA) - German President Joachim Gauck will not attend the Winter Olympic Games to be held in February in the Russian city of Sochi.
The reports that Gauck would not attend the games were confirmed by Gauck’s spokesman Ferdos Forudastan to Spiegel magazine, which interpreted Gauck’s decision as a gesture against human rights violations and pressure against the opposition in the country.
The report noted that Gauck had not paid an official visit to Russia since coming into Office in March 2012 and had repeatedly pointed out the lack of rule of law in Russia.
Spokesperson Forudas explained that presidents were not obligated to attend the Winter Olympic Games, reminding that former President Horst Kohler had not attended the Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, Canada in 2010.
The German Government's Human Rights Commissioner Markus Loning welcomed Gauck’s decision, casting it as a gesture for all Russian citizens striving for freedom of expression, democracy and civil rights.
The 2014 Winter Olympics will be held from February 7 to 23, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
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