Sophia the Great said that the escape of Sergei and Violetta Bida to the USA was their right
Two-time Olympic fencing champion Sofia Velikaya appreciated the escape of Russian epee fencers Sergei and Violetta Bida to the USA. Her words are quoted by RIA Novosti.
“This is absolutely their life, this is their right,” the Russian woman said. She added that she herself sits at home.
Earlier, the President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), Stanislav Pozdnyakov, warned the athletes. “They are promoting the image of a classic dissident, a dissident from sports. But life will put everything in its place,” said the head of the ROC.
In December last year, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs put the Bida fencers on the wanted list. They face up to ten years in prison under Article 337 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Unauthorized abandonment of a unit or place of service”). At the time of his departure, Sergei Bida was listed in Dynamo Moscow and had the rank of ensign of the Russian Guard. His wife was previously a serviceman of the Ministry of Defense in the capital’s CSKA.
Source: Lenta
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