Since the beginning of May, the French Ministry of the Interior has not responded to a collective letter from Russian volunteers who was denied a job at the Paris Olympics.
Earlier, French authorities rejected the Olympic Games accreditation applications of more than 20 Russians who planned to go to Paris as volunteers.
„At the beginning of May, we prepared a collective letter to the French Minister of the Interior, which was handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs by Russian volunteers living in this country,” said the TASS interlocutor. "It's been over two weeks - no response. But we continue to hope that the ban on Russian volunteers will be lifted and we will be able to join like-minded people from other countries in Olympic Paris, with whom we have worked at more than one Games and have become a friendly family. ”
The text of the volunteer letter: “As independent volunteers, we take the liberty of contacting you. After submitting applications, we were selected by the Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Paris 2024) in 2023 to volunteer at events taking place in Paris this summer. Each of us was given our task and schedule, as a result of which we got a visa, bought plane tickets and were ready to help everyone and share our goodwill, knowledge and smiles with every guest and participant of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Unfortunately, on April 29, 2024, we, volunteers with Russian citizenship, received letters of denial of accreditation and participation in the volunteer program due to security reasons. We are well aware of your concerns and take event security seriously, but please submit a request to review our applications against security criteria. We are willing to volunteer during the Games with good intentions and do not pose any danger, as our common goal is to promote the values of the Olympic Games and the ideals of the Olympic Movement.
Baron de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, inspired us with his love and dedication to true sport. We absolutely love our work and want to be useful during these games that will be held in Paris. At home, we want to share our joy and success by holding Olympic classes in children's schools and telling new generations about the true sportsmanship that can inspire them for good deeds.
We ask you to listen to us and give us the opportunity to demonstrate our skills and knowledge in practice, helping to organize the Games at the highest level. We are committed to strictly complying with all French laws, European Union laws, the Olympic Charter and the Charter for Olympic and Paralympic Volunteers.
Some of us have extensive experience working at international sporting events, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We have never broken the law and we have never been persecuted, we have always been and remain law-abiding and honorable people who believe in justice and goodness. You are our only hope for a fair decision, which is why we are reaching out to you and asking you to submit a request so that our applications can be considered in accordance with the security criteria. We count on your support and understanding".