Russia may file appeal to CAS since WADA’s decision violates Olympic Charter: Putin

PARIS, Dec 10, 2019, TASS. The decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Russian athletes runs counter to the Olympic Charter, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a press conference after the Normandy Four summit in Paris, TASS reported.

On Monday, WADA’s Executive Committee decided to recall the status of compliance from the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA). This will result in sanctions on Russian sports.

Putin said that since WADA does not have any concerns about the Russian Olympic Committee, their “decision in this part runs counter to the Olympic Charter.” “We have all the reasons to file an appeal to CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport],” Putin noted.

“There are other considerations as well, but it is important that this issue is analyzed by specialists, lawyers who would talk with our partners having this knowledge,” Putin said.

“[WADA’s] decision on Russian athletes should be analyzed. What lays on the surface and what I see right away – there are no concerns about the Russian Olympic Committee. If they are no concerns there, then the country should be able to perform under the national flag,” Putin said.

“The main thing, in my opinion, and it seems to me that everyone agrees with it, is that any punishment – since the times of Roman law – should be individual and based on what that individual did. Punishment cannot be collective and affect those people who have nothing to do with certain violations,” the Russian president explained.

“I think that WADA specialists understand this as well. If some of them make such decisions on collective punishment, then it seems to me that there are grounds to believe that not care for clean global sports is behind this, but rather political considerations that have nothing to do with the interests of sports and the Olympic movement,” Putin noted.