MOSCOW, July 29 (RAPSI) -  Chairman of NBC Sports Group Mark Lazarus announced that the US television giant would acknowledge and recognize Russia’s gay propaganda law if it were to pose an issue during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, but expressed assurances that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had already dealt directly with the Russian authorities on the issue, The Guardian reported Sunday, citing remarks made by the executive at the Television Critics Association in Beverly Hills.

According to The Guardian, Lazarus explained: "The IOC has addressed it with the Russian government and has assured athletes, fans and media that there won't be any issues."

American LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign had reached out to NBC CEO Stephen Burke and other executives a week prior, urging them in a letter to take a stand against Russia’s new gay propaganda law particularly by refraining from airing the opening ceremonies.

RAPSI’s sister agency R-Sport reported two days later that the IOC had received “assurances from the highest level” of the Russian authorities that the law would not be enforced against athletes and spectators during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

On June 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill banning the promotion of homosexuality among minors.

The law seeks to impose fines for such offenses from 800,000 rubles ($24,000) to 1 million rubles ($30,500) for legal entities, from 4,000 rubles ($120) to 5,000 rubles ($150) for individuals and from 40,000 rubles ($1,220) to 50,000 rubles ($1,530) for officials. Legal entities may also be suspended for 90 days for disseminating gay propaganda among children.