The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) released a statement Monday announcing that the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) has officially appealed its indefinite suspension dealt out last month by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The IOC stripped the ROC of funding in October after claiming the organization breached the Olympic charter by absorbing Olympic Councils in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — four regions that have been illegally annexed from Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing war. The IOC’s executive board determined that move “violated the territorial integrity” of Ukraine’s national Olympic committee (NOC).
“In its appeal to the CAS, the ROC requests that the Challenged Decision be set aside and that it be reinstated as a NOC recognized by the IOC, benefitting from all rights and prerogatives granted by the Olympic Charter,” the CAS said in its statement.
The CAS said that arbitration proceedings have commenced and written submissions are being exchanged, but that there is no time frame yet for a final decision.
“The CAS Panel’s decision will be final and binding, with the exception of the parties’ right to file an appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal within 30 days on limited grounds,” the CAS said.
Notably, the latest sanctions on the ROC will not have any impact on the IOC potentially allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as individual neutrals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, according to IOC spokesman Mark Adams.
Back in June, Russia absorbed 22 sports federations in its illegally annexed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) — including swimming — as part of an effort to “accelerate the integration of new regions into Russian sports life.” Last February, Russia recognized the DPR as a sovereign state, three days before invading Ukraine under the guise of protecting the region. Then last September, Russia used illegitimate referendums to annex the DPR and other occupied territories amid international condemnation.
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The Russian athletes are victims of the Putin regime; don’t put the blame on the IOC, the CAS or anyone else.
Russia stepped in to protect Ukrainians in the Donbas when nobody else would, after 8 years of torment. Russian athletes should be given front row seats.
Thanks for your contribution Vladimir.
What’s the weather like in Volgograd?
Is that the new parts of growing Russia?
Let the bribing begin!
I note that you don’t list any grounds for their appeal. Are they suggesting that they did not absorb these Olympic councils? Or that they did but it wasn’t unlawful?
I honestly want to see the Russian swimmers be allowed to swim but I don’t want to see this heinous Russian Government be given any legitimacy.
Thanks M Liendo, it’s exactly my think 🇫🇷🇪🇺
Grounds for appeal: Illegal annexation is no big deal