INDICT, a London-based organisation which investigates crimes committed by the Iraqi regime, today submitted a formal ethics complaint to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne, Switzerland against the Iraqi National Olympic Committee (INOC).

The complaint, submitted by INDICT on behalf of two Iraqi Olympic athletes, accuses the INOC of massive violations of the Olympic charter and the Olympic ethics code. One of the athletes was forced to crawl on newly paved asphalt while he was beaten with a cable. The other athlete's wife and family were forced to publicly disown him after being threatened with execution. INDICT's complaint demands the expulsion of the INOC from the Olympic Movement.

"The INOC is the only Olympic committee in the world with its own prison and torture chamber," said Ann Clwyd MP, INDICT's Chair. "The President of the INOC, Saddam Hussein's son Uday, is a sadistic killer who personally tortures athletes and uses the IOC as a front for smuggling and corruption. INDICT has collected signed testimony from Olympic athletes to support these accusations. Many others we've interviewed - even those living in Britain - are still too scared to come forward."

The international football federation, FIFA, conducted an investigation in Baghdad in 1997 of allegations that Uday had personally ordered the torture of members of the Iraqi football team after they lost a key match. "The FIFA investigation was a disgraceful whitewash," said Ann Clwyd. "You can't expect athletes interviewed in Iraq to commit suicide by telling the truth. The IOC must deal with these allegations of torture and corruption in a much more serious manner."

"With the filing of this complaint, made by members of the Olympic family, the IOC can no longer ignore the disgusting record of the INOC," added Ms Clwyd. "To allow the INOC to participate in the Olympic Movement is to mock all of the Olympics' high principles. The IOC must act quickly to suspend or expel the INOC."