Syrian official warns UK of Olympics visa denial

Speaking to The Times, Joumaa said the Olympic charter forbade host countries from banning athletes, threatening to complain to the International Olympic Committee if visas were denied.

"If anyone was blocked because of their military background, that would be unfair. Anyone who has a military background in Syria, they are an ordinary citizen of this country,” Joumaa said.

Earlier this week, the British Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne said entry would be refused for individuals whose presence in the UK was not "conducive to the public good".

"Where there is independent, reliable and credible evidence that an individual has committed human rights abuses, the individual will not normally be permitted to enter the UK," he said.

Visas are still being sought for11 athletes and 20 officials who want to attend the games on behalf of Syria.

Meanwhile, on May 27, the UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said Syrian delegation members with connections to the country’s military will be denied entry, while Syrian officials last week denied carrying out the slaughter in the central town of Houla in a suspected exploitation of situation, saying “terrorists” who were “equipped with mortars and anti-tank missiles” are to blame.