Kosovo Olympic Committee calls for disciplinary action against Novak Djokovic over French Open message

The Kosovo Olympic Committee urged the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) Tuesday to open “disciplinary proceedings” towards Novak Djokovic after claiming his assertion on the French Open relating to the current battle within the area might set a “harmful precedent.” 

The committee issued a press release from its president, Ismet Krasniqi, in response to the message Djokovic wrote on a digicam lens following his first-round victory at Roland Garros Monday. 

Novak Djokovic of Serbia wrote a political assertion in Serbian on a digicam lens — “Kosovo is the guts of Serbia. Cease the violence.” — concerning the tensions between Kosovo and Serbia after his first-round victory on the 2023 French Open at Roland-Garros Could 29, 2023, in Paris. (Getty Photographs)

“Kosovo is the guts of Serbia. Cease the violence,” Djokovic wrote in Serbian, the identical day 30 NATO peacekeepers were injured when police and ethnic Serbs clashed throughout demonstrations in Zvecan. 

CAMERON NORRIE HITS BACK AT NOVAK DJOKOVIC’S LACK OF SPORTSMANSHIP CRITICISM: ‘I’VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE’

“Yesterday, we and the world witnessed one other incident, this time composed by a Serbian tennis participant, Novak Djokovic, who as soon as once more and for the third time violated the game rules, breached the elemental rules of the IOC constitution on the purpose of political neutrality and concerned yet one more political assertion in sport,” Krasniqi’s assertion mentioned. 

“Novak Djokovic has but once more promoted the Serbian nationalist’s propaganda and used the game platform to take action. Moreover, the additional post-match statements, made by such a public determine with none feeling of regret, immediately end in elevating the extent of pressure and violence between the 2 international locations, Kosovo and Serbia.”

Novak Djokovic of Serbia throughout a males’s singles first-round match towards Aleksandar Kovacevic of america at Roland Garros Could 29, 2023, in Paris.  (Andy Cheung/Getty Photographs)

Djokovic addressed the backlash throughout a post-match press convention, the place he defined his stance towards battle and battle. He mentioned he felt a way of “accountability” to make a press release due to his standing as a public determine and since he’s the “son of a person who was born in Kosovo.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

“My stance is obvious: I’m towards wars, violence and any form of battle, as I’ve at all times said publicly,” he mentioned. “I empathize with all folks, however the scenario with Kosovo is a precedent in worldwide regulation.”

However Krasniqi argued in his assertion that Djokovic’s message is “harmful for the way forward for sport if unpunished” and referred to as on the IOC to hunt disciplinary actions. 

“I respectfully urge that IOC reacts inside its framework and requests to the ITF (Worldwide Tennis Federation) to observe the rules regulated by the Olympic constitution and examine on this matter by opening disciplinary proceedings towards the athlete,” Krasniqi mentioned.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves towards Aleksandar Kovacevic of america throughout a males’s singles first-round match on the 2023 French Open at Roland Garros Could 29, 2023, in Paris. (Christian Liewig/Corbis/Corbis through Getty Photographs)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“No matter the truth that Novak Djokovic is among the greatest tennis gamers on the earth, such reiterated habits can’t be tolerated because it units a harmful precedent that sport can be utilized as a platform for political messages, agendas and propaganda,” Krasniqi added. 

Djokovic’s actions have already been condemned by French Sports activities Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, who mentioned it was “not acceptable.” 

The ITF has not opened a disciplinary case. 

The Related Press contributed to this report.