Minister at NI-Belarus match despite government guidance

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has attended Northern Ireland's crippled against Belarus contempt UK authorities guidance that the crippled shouldn’t spell ahead.

BBC News NI approached the Department for Communities (DfC) connected Wednesday to inquire if the curate would beryllium attending but they person not responded.

The UK has sanctions successful spot against Belarus due to the country's enactment of the Russian penetration of Ukraine.

BBC News NI understands the authorities is "disappointed" Uefa is allowing the lucifer astatine Windsor Park successful southbound Belfast to spell up - nevertheless successful spite of this it granted visas to Belarusian players and staff.

Uefa told the BBC that Belarus was not permitted to big matches, but it did not remark connected its presumption connected the state playing games elsewhere.

The Irish Football Association has not responded to requests for comment.

Belarus has been banned from taking portion successful different planetary sporting competitions including the Olympics and Paralympics.

A root told BBC News NI that it was the UK government's "unequivocal presumption that determination should beryllium nary Russian oregon Belarusian practice successful planetary sport. We person issued guidance to our home sports bodies to that effect".

"We are disappointed that Uefa has present followed this attack and has allowed Belarusian teams to enactment successful planetary competition," they said.

"The determination to let the information of Belarus successful Uefa competitions and to play the fixture successful Northern Ireland is simply a substance for Uefa and the Irish Football Association."

The erstwhile Conservative authorities signed a pledge with a fig of different countries agreeing that Belarusian footballers should beryllium banned from competing successful different countries.

The pledge says that "athletes selected by Russia and Belarus, administrators and teams representing the Russian oregon Belarusian authorities should beryllium banned from competing successful different countries, including those representing bodies, cities oregon brands that are efficaciously representing Russia oregon Belarus, specified arsenic large shot clubs".

The pledge was signed by the past Culture and Sport Secretary Nadine Dorries.

Jack Chambers, a inferior curate successful the Irish government, signed connected behalf of the Republic of Ireland.

In 2023, 100 members of the European parliament wrote to Uefa asking that Belarus beryllium expelled from their tournaments owed to its quality rights record.

Uefa did not respond straight to immoderate of the issues raised but pointed the BBC to a connection it released successful March 2022 astir the issue.

"All Belarusian clubs and nationalist teams competing successful UEFA competitions volition beryllium required to play their location matches astatine neutral venues with contiguous effect," it said.

"Furthermore, nary spectators shall be matches successful which the teams from Belarus diagnostic arsenic host.

"The Uefa enforcement committee volition convene further bonzer meetings, connected a regular ongoing ground wherever required, to reassess the ineligible and factual concern arsenic it evolves and follow further decisions arsenic necessary."

A adjacent state of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's medication has go progressively reliant connected Russia for economic, governmental and subject enactment successful caller years.

Lukashenko has hosted Russian forces and allowed them to usage Belarus arsenic a staging ground.

• What is happening successful Belarus?

Putin backed Lukashenko aft helium claimed a disputed predetermination triumph successful 2020, sparking wide protests that astir ousted him from power.

The standard of the protests were unprecedented for Belarus with much than 100,000 packing into cardinal Minsk, the capital, for 4 consecutive Sundays aft the election.

Europe's longest-serving ruler, Lukashenko took bureau successful 1994 during the chaos caused by the illness of the Soviet Union successful 1991.

Often described arsenic Europe's "last dictator", helium has tried to sphere elements of Soviet communism.

Much of manufacturing has remained nether authorities control, and main media channels person been loyal to the government.

At the aforesaid time, Lukashenko has tried to benignant himself arsenic a pugnacious nationalist with a nonstop manner, defending his state from harmful overseas influences, and a guarantor of stability.

BBC News NI has approached the Department for Communities and the Executive Office for comment.