The IOC has vowed to "explore a pathway" for Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international sport having been largely frozen out since the invasion of Ukraine, albeit under "strict conditions" of neutrality and only for those who have not been "actively supporting the war".

That has sparked an angry reaction in Ukraine and other European countries, prompting discussions of a potential boycott of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Under the Belarusian Free Athletes and Sports Specialists banner, a group of 36 named and 12 unnamed Lukashenko opponents within sport have issued a "Declaration of Belarusian Free Sports towards participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in Olympic Movement".

They described the IOC's criteria for the participation of Russian and Belarusian neutrals as "insufficient", and expressed "disbelief at the possibility of fulfilment of the criteria by Russian and Belarusian pro-regime athletes".

The athletes argued that those from Russia and Belarus supporting the regimes of Vladimir Putin and Lukashenko "should not have the opportunity to bring aggression to the world sports arena", and support the IOC's sanctions against both countries' Governments.

However, they urged the Lausanne-based organisation to "defend thoroughly and to a sufficient extent the rights of the Ukrainian and Belarusian free athletes and sports specialists", and insisted "Belarusian free athletes should be granted the right to participate in sports competitions and saved from persecution by the Lukashenko regime for their civic position".

They also demanded that "political prisoners should be released from prison immediately".

In an additional request to the IOC, they called on it to "implement an effective system of verification of the Russian and Belarusian athletes for their possible participation in competitions" based on an active anti-war position, which should include "the signing of the Anti-War Declaration".

Signatories of the Declaration included former National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus (NOCRB) secretary general Anatol Kotau, Beijing 2008 decathlon silver medallist Andrei Krauchanka and former women's basketball national team captain Katsiaryna Snytsina.

insidethegames has asked the IOC for a comment on the Declaration.

Sport has been intertwined with Lukashenko's Presidency in Belarus.

He was NOCRB President from 1997 until 2021, when he was replaced by his son Viktor Lukashenko in an election that is not recognised by the IOC.

More than 100 athletes were reportedly barred from competitive sports in Belarus after signing an open letter calling for an end to police violence against peaceful protestors in the aftermath of Alexander Lukashenko's disputed re-election as President in 2020.

There was controversy involving Belarus at Tokyo 2020, when sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya defected to Poland after claiming she was taken to the airport against her will following public criticism of Belarus' coaches.

The NOCRB has been hit by several sanctions by the IOC, but has not been formally suspended.