IIHF refuses to move Ice Hockey World Championship from Minsk

The congress of the International Ice Hockey Federation has confirmed that Minsk will host the 2014 World Championship.

Marek Migalski, a member of the European Parliament and initiator of the campaign to move the championship from Belarus, wrote it on his Twitter account.

“My almost year's work was in vain. The Congress of the International Ice Hockey Federation took a decision not to move the 2014 World Championship to another country,” he wrote.

Marek Migalski said he started his work on using the international tournament to promote democracy and release political prisoners in Belarus.

Belarus received the right to host the IIHF Championship in 2009. The event is scheduled for May 9—25 in Minsk Arena and Chizhovka Arena (Chyzhouka Arena).

Human rights groups and international organisations spoke against holding the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship in Minsk due to human rights violations and political prisoners in Belarus. Many European and American politicians supported the idea of moving the tournament to another country. Some countries threatened to boycott the championship in Minsk due to repression organised by the Belarusian authorities.