Don’t Play Hockey with Dictators!
Last year more than 18 thousand people called on the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to relocate the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship from Belarus unless Alexander Lukashenko released all political prisoners and declared a moratorium on the death penalty. Hopefully KHPG readers supported the petition which can be found here www.change.org/belarus2014
Despite the strongest grounds for heeding public calls, the IIHF has remained adamant.
Why they want to help Lukashenko get propaganda benefit out of a hockey championship and don’t want to put pressure on him to release political prisoners is not clear.
Please help make it clear to the Championship’s sponsors that the venue should be changed.
Some suggested messages are given below. These or your own can be sent to the following sponsors’ Facebook pages:
Škoda https://facebook.com/skoda?fref=ts
Raiffeisson Bank https://facebook.com/skoda?fref=ts
Tissot https://facebook.com/Tissot
Possible messages
Please tell IIHF to move the World Hockey Championship 2014 from Belarus due to human rights violations. You as sponsors can do it! More: www.change.org/belarus2014
Stop sponsoring the dictatorship! As sponsors of the World Hockey Championship 2014, please reconsider Belarus as the host. More: www.change.org/belarus2014
Belarus is Europe’s last dictatorship and you are sponsoring the World Hockey Championship 2014?! Please reconsider your support and tell IIHF to change the host! More: www.change.org/belarus2014
Belarus cannot be the host of the World Hockey Championship unless it releases all political prisoners and abolishes the death penalty. Please reconsider your sponsorship and ask IIHF to do the same! More: www.change.org/belarus2014