Hassan Khamryuzov, an Olympic champion in judo, has received a temporary disqualification from the International Judo Federation (IJF) following a social media post expressing support for Palestine. The decision was made due to a violation of the IJF’s rules prohibiting religious or political bias. The incident occurred after 30-year-old Khamryuzov, a gold medalist at the Rio Olympics in the 81 kg weight category, posted a Palestinian flag and videos allegedly depicting the aftermath of an Israeli counter-bombardment. This followed the weekend attacks by Hamas, which resulted in hundreds of fatalities and the taking of at least 150 hostages in Israel. Israel responded with attacks on the Gaza Strip, including restrictions on the flow of food, water, fuel, and medical aid. The IJF stated its commitment to fighting discrimination and upholding human values, referencing the organization’s principles of mutual help, respect, and friendship. The situation is further complicated by reports that the IJF is one of the pro-Israel federations. In 2019, Said Mollai, an Iranian judoist, was disqualified for four years for refusing to compete against a Jewish athlete at the world championship. Khamryuzov has previously won gold from the 2016 European Championship and bronze from the 2017 World Championship. He has since removed the controversial post from his social media accounts. Topics: #olympic #champion #palestine Post navigation Iran: opening up to other fronts is possible, the US must control Israel to prevent a regional war Gallery: Tank group of allies honed cooperation with Estonians in the bitter autumn air