A group of more than 100 members of the European Union's Parliament are urging UEFA, Europe's governing football body, to ban Belarus from qualifying for the upcoming 2024 European Championship over the country's human rights record.
The lawmakers argued that such a move would avoid granting legitimacy to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's propaganda campaign.
Last week, Lukashenko's regime sentenced opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to 15 years in prison on charges including conspiracy to overthrow the government.
The regime is under EU sanctions over repression against opposition members, human rights abuses, and support for Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
The Independent and Politico report on the call by more than 100 EU Parliament lawmakers urging UEFA to exclude Belarus from the Euro 2024 qualifiers over human rights abuses.
Both articles note that the lawmakers argued for such a ban to avoid granting legitimacy to Lukashenko's propaganda campaign.
However, the articles differ slightly in their characterisation of the situation.
Whereas The Independent focuses on the MEPs warning that UEFA's reputation will be on the line, Politico emphasises that Lukashenko's regime is under EU sanctions and highlights its support for Russia's aggression against Ukraine.