IOC rejects human rights group’s complaint against Trump ally Infantino

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing Reuters, reported that the International Olympic Committee has declined to take up a complaint filed by the human rights organisation FairSquare against FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who is also an IOC member. An IOC spokesperson said on Friday that its Ethics Commission reviewed the filing but concluded it did not fall within the remit of the IOC Code of Ethics.

According to the report, FairSquare submitted the complaint on July 14, accusing Infantino of repeatedly violating political neutrality standards through public support for US President Donald Trump. The IOC’s position was that the allegations concerned FIFA’s own governance, management, relationships with governments and application of football rules, areas it said are outside the IOC Ethics Commission’s authority. The IOC said FairSquare had been notified of the decision.

The complaint formed part of FairSquare’s wider challenge to Infantino’s conduct, including a previous complaint to FIFA’s Ethics Committee last year. The group has focused on Infantino’s appearances with Trump, including during the 2026 World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Al Jazeera reported that Trump and Infantino were booed as they entered the field for the trophy ceremony at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19.

The case matters because it tests how far Olympic ethics rules apply to leaders of international federations who also hold IOC membership. The IOC’s response does not assess the merits of FairSquare’s allegations; it says only that the complaint belongs outside its ethics jurisdiction.