While the Russian and Belarusian National Olympic Committees have avoided suspension by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the IPC has gone further in response to the war in Ukraine by suspending both countries' National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) at a vote held during an Extraordinary General Assembly in November.

Members voted by 64 votes to 39 to suspend the RPC and 54 to 45 for the suspension of the NPC of Belarus.

Both have appealed the decision to the IPC Appeals Tribunal, with a hearing concerning the RPC scheduled for April 25 in Dubai.

The RPC's comments that its suspension from the IPC represents "discrimination" comes as the countdown to the Paris 2024 Paralympics continues, with today marking 500 days to go.

In an open letter to the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Disability Union, Humanity & Inclusion, International Disability and Development Consortium and IPC members, RPC President Pavel Rozhkov criticised the IPC's stance.

He claimed the "IPC has not provided evidence that the RPC has violated any membership obligations in accordance with the provisions of the IPC Constitution", and argued it should not be required to condemn the invasion of Ukraine as a breach of the Olympic Truce because of "political neutrality".

Rozhkov suggested the IPC's actions had "grossly violated" the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, European Convention on Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

He then contrasted the IPC's stance with that of the IOC, which has controversially cleared the way for Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competitions as neutrals provided they do not support the war in Ukraine and are not affiliated to the military.

The IOC has defended its stance by pointing to assertions from the UN Special Rapporteurs Alexandra Xanthaki and E. Tendayi Achiume, who claimed a blanket ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes would be a violation of human rights.

Critics have disputed this by arguing exclusion would be justified in the interests of protecting Ukrainian athletes.

Rozhkov referenced the UN Special Rapporteurs' viewpoints in the RPC's open letter, and urged recipients of the letter to back a return for Russia and Belarus to Paralympic sport.

"We are asking you to call on the IPC to prevent discrimination against Russian athletes with disabilities on the basis of their nationality and infringement of their rights to participate in international sporting events and the Paralympic Games," the RPC President said.

The IPC declined to comment on the open letter while the appeal is ongoing.

IPC President Andrew Parsons, who is also an IOC member, has admitted to insidethegames the two organisations could have different policies on Russia and Belarus at Paris 2024.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started on February 24 last year, in between the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing.

The IPC had initially planned to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Winter Paralympics under their own flag, but backed down after several countries threatened to boycott.

It went further than the IOC at Rio 2016 in response to the Russian state-sponsored doping scandal, issuing an outright ban on athletes from the country while the IOC left decisions on individual athletes to International Federations.