10:54, 4 February 2014

Netherlands public demand from monarch and prime minister not to go to Sochi Olympics

35,000 Dutchmen have signed a petition demanding from the top officials of the Netherlands not to attend the Olympic Games in Sochi, because of the Russian law, which infringes, in their opinion, the rights of sexual minorities.

The petition is addressed to the King Willem-Alexander, his wife Maxima and Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The document was submitted to the government in The Hague on February 3.

Many Dutch politicians have also spoken against the visit of the top officials to Sochi, pointing to the example of France, Germany and the USA.

Mark Rutte has already responded to the petition, saying that he will still go to the Games, but will appeal to the president of Russia on human rights issues, the Deutsche Welle magazine writes, referring to the DPA Agency.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that earlier some countries raised the issue of boycotting the Olympic Games in Sochi, because of Russia's failure, according to social activists, to respect human rights, in particular, the rights of sexual minorities and, possibly, of homosexual athletes.