The European Olympic Committee has honoured the man known as Europe’s last dictator, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, with an award “For Outstanding Contribution to the Olympic Movement”. Critics argue that sport is just one of his propaganda tools.

The International Olympic Committee does not want to get involved with the general human rights situation in China. But now, human rights organisations try to engage the IOC in alleviating human rights problems that are a direct consequence of China’s preparations for the Games or occur in the name of the Olympics.

Since China was awarded the Olympic Games in 2008, human rights organisations and politicians have applied pressure on the International Olympic Committee to use the Games as a lever to improve China’s human rights record. But what is the rationale for regarding the Olympics as a source for political and social change?

Intense criticism has surrounded China’s planned route for the Olympic Torch relay prior to Beijing 2008. Human rights groups have also slammed China’s human rights record, their voices joined by US politicians who oppose China’s alleged sale of arms to Sudan.

A group of female ski jumpers from Canada has filed a complaint with Canada’s Human Rights Commission as a way to get the Canadian government to pressure the IOC on its decision not to include women’s ski jumping in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. The ski jumpers say IOC’s decision discriminates them.

When thousands of athletes from 42 countries meet at the Pan American Games in Brazil in July this year, athletes will be forbidden to update their blogs or websites during the competition. There will also be restrictions on broadcast of live images on the internet.

In Kenya political pressure is mounting on Bob Munro, the Canadian-born chairman of Mathare United. A month ago Kenya’s minister of sport Maina Kamanda threatened to deport Munro from Kenya and yesterday Munro was picked up by six immigration officers and two police men who took him to a meeting with the Principal Immigration Officer to discuss his work permit.

Last year, the government in New Zealand refused entry visas to a cricket team from Zimbabwe in protest against human rights abuses by Zimbabwe’s government. Now the New Zealand government has agreed to pay New Zealand Cricket compensation to cover losses from the cancelled tour.