MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier this month, Deutsche Welle published a cartoon created by Russian political cartoonist Sergey Elkin, showing the Olympic logo with one ring acting as a wheelchair for a Russian disabled athlete, who is heading away.
"Today, on August 16, around 50 people took part in a picket near the German embassy in Moscow, mostly students and young people. According to the participants, they have all come to express their protest over the caricature published by Deutsche Welle regarding the Russian Paralympic team," the organization said in a statement.
"We demand the German broadcaster immediately remove the cartoon, as it is offensive not only to disabled athletes, but also to the entire Olympic movement. Furthermore, Deutsche Welle must apologize to our Paralympic athletes for the inappropriate and disrespectful attitude to sport and to people with limited physical abilities," Molodaya Gvardiya leader Denis Davydov said at the event.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) suspended Russia’s membership in early August citing the country's alleged failure to comply with the organization’s anti-doping rules. The Russian Paralympic Committee has appealed the decision through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with the appeal due to be heard on August 21.
