Nick Clegg has now promised anyone who is proven to have abused human rights will not be allowed into Britain.
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show he found the scenes of “savagery” from Syrian “revolting” and “stomach churning” and added new changes to government legislation would affect those visiting.
He said: “As it happens, as a government we have recently changed the rules about who we allow into this country and who we refuse entry to.
“For the first time we are saying if there’s evidence you have abused human rights, and there’s independent evidence to show that is the case, you will not be allowed to come into this country.
“As far as the Government is concerned – I can’t talk for the Olympic Organising Committee – we have recently said very clearly if you’ve abuse human rights and that is shown to be the case you are not welcome in this country.”
When asked specifically if those connected with the Syrian massacre would not be here for the Olympics, he said “of course”, adding he was not able to give specific names.
He added: “We have changed our policy in a very big way recently, never happened before; if you have abused human rights you cannot come into this country."
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office would not comment on individual cases, but Whitehall sources have indicated that General Joumaa can expected to be barred from the UK as he is closely identified with troops loyal to President Assad who are estimated to have killed 10,000 people since the start of the 15-month insurgency.
Syria’s athletes could still be allowed to compete, as they were exempted from serving in the armed forces.
Locog, the games’ organisers, are in the process of receiving the names of all athletes, officials, guests and delegates being sent to London by each of the countries taking part.
The names are being passed on to the Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office for checking against lists of individuals whose presence in this country is deemed undesirable, or who appear on the records of international bodies such the EU and International Criminal Court as being suspected of human rights abuses.
A London 2012 spokesman said: “All National Olympic Committees submit names of athletes, support staff, officials, media and guests to us. These then go through Home Office checks. This process has started but we do not comment on individual applications.”
Jeremy Browne, the Foreign Office minister, said in a letter to Denis MacShane, the Labour MP and former Europe minister, last week: “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.”
Some leaders, such as President Assad and Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, are already banned from travelling to the EU.
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