By European Olympic Committees Report Sochi Terror Threats
Olympic committees in Hungary and Slovenia have received terrorist threats against their athletes ahead of Russia’s Sochi Winter Games next month and have heard of similar threats to other countries, Reuters reported Wednesday.
“The committee has received a terrorist threat letter written in Russian. We’ve had it translated and have forwarded it to the police,” Slovenian Olympic Committee spokesman Brane Dmitrovic was quoted as saying by Reuters.
The Hungarian Olympic Committee said it had received a similar letter, but that it had been analyzed and was not considered a threat, the news agency reported.
The International Olympic Committee said Wednesday that the letter sent to the HOC did not represent any threat to athletes.
“The IOC treats security issues very seriously and forwards any reliable information to the security services. However, it appears that in this case, the letter sent to the HOC does not contain any threat,” an IOC spokesperson told R-Sport.
The Sochi organizing committee also assessed the letter and said there is no real threat, and that the author has also been sending messages to other countries competing in the Olympics, HOC international relations director Zsigmond Nagy told Reuters.
Russia is on high alert ahead of the Winter Olympics, which begin February 7 in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
President Vladimir Putin said last week Russia would do all it could to ensure safety at the Games.
“Our task is to provide security for participants of the Olympics and guests of this sporting festival, and we’ll do everything possible for that,” he said.
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