( CNN ) -- German President Joachim Gauck will not represent his country at the Winter Olympics in Sochi , Russia , his office says . The announcement makes Gauck , a former pastor , the first major political figure to boycott the games , which will be held at the Black Sea resort in February . According to a report in the German publication Der Spiegel , Gauck made the decision in protest against human rights violations and the harassment of Russian opposition political figures . The magazine said the Russian government was informed of his decision last week . But Gauck 's office is downplaying the report . `` He simply decided not to go , '' his spokesman Tobias Scheufele told CNN . `` We 're not saying anything about his motivations . '' Scheufele said Germany has n't heard anything from Russia about Gauck 's decision . Russia 's Presidential Press Service said there was no immediate official reaction to the report . Germany 's presidency is largely ceremonial ; Chancellor Angela Merkel oversees the government . Some athletes have spoken out against Russia 's new `` propaganda '' law that bans even discussion of homosexuality anywhere that children might hear it . The legislation , which President Vladimir Putin signed in June , gives authorities the power to impose fines as well as detain and deport foreigners who are deemed to have breached the law . Sochi 2014 : Gay athlete promises openly defiant stance at Games . Some artists and activists have called for a boycott of the Sochi games , which run from February 7 to 23 . `` I do n't think that we should be going to the Olympics at all , '' Lady Gaga said last week during an interview on the British television show `` Alan Carr : Chatty Man . '' `` I just think it is absolutely wrong for so many countries to send money and economy in the way of a country that does n't support gays . '' In August , British actor and writer Stephen Fry wrote an open letter to the International Olympic Committee and British Prime Minister David Cameron saying : `` An absolute ban on the Russian Winter Olympics of 2014 on Sochi is simply essential . `` Stage them elsewhere in Utah , Lillehammer , anywhere you like . At all costs Putin can not be seen to have the approval of the civilized world , '' he wrote in the letter posted on his website . Putin said in an interview on state television in September that gay people would not be discriminated against at the Sochi games . But that appeared at odds with statements made by government officials that the anti-gay propaganda law would be enforced . Putin also later said everyone would be welcomed to the Winter Olympics in Russia , regardless of sexual orientation , state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported . The IOC in August said it received assurances `` from the highest level of government in Russia '' that the law would not affect people attending or taking part in the Games . The next month , the IOC said the law did not violate the Olympic Charter . U.S. President Barack Obama rejected calls for the United States to boycott the Games , saying such a move would hurt American athletes who trained and sacrificed to qualify . Earlier this year , Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested a possible boycott of the Olympics if Putin allowed NSA leaker Edward Snowden to remain in his country and if Putin continued supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad . A brief history of the Winter Olympics . CNN '' s Zarifmo Aslamshoyeva , Arkady Irshenko , Baharati Naik , Sara Mazloumsaki , and Bryony Jones contributed to this report .
Germany : Spokesman for German media wo n't discuss his reasons for skipping the games . President Joachim Gauck will not attend games in Sochi . It 's a row over human rights and support of the opposition , Der News reports . It would make him the first major political figure to miss the games .