Sports politics
Cas ruling: Russia remains suspended as an IOC member
The IOC has suspended Russia. Russia appealed against this to the Cas and failed. photo
© Hannibal Hanschke/epa/dpa
Russia’s National Olympic Committee has been suspended over its inclusion of four annexed Ukrainian territories. It sued the Court of Arbitration for Sport – and failed.
The International Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) has the objection Russia’s appeal against its suspension by the International Olympic Committee was rejected. This was announced by the Cas. On October 12, 2023, the IOC Executive Committee reacted to the decision of the country’s National Olympic Committee (ROC) to include the four annexed Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia with the suspension.
For the IOC, this action is a violation of the Olympic Charter because it violates Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The Cas now confirmed the decision challenged by Russia and found that the IOC had “not violated the principles of legality, equality, predictability or proportionality”. The IOC said it welcomed the court’s decision.
Permission to start continues under certain conditions
Since the suspension, the ROC is no longer allowed to function as a National Olympic Committee within the meaning of the Olympic Charter. It also no longer receives financial contributions from the IOC. The conditions under which Russian athletes are allowed to take part in international competitions continue to apply.
Individual athletes from Russia and Belarus can, under certain conditions, receive permission to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris, provided they meet the qualification conditions. As with the return to international competitions, the prerequisite is that they can only take part in Paris under a neutral flag.
Teams are not permitted. The starters from both countries are not allowed to play their national anthems, and national symbols and flags are also prohibited for them. In addition, these athletes must not have any connection to the army and security organs or actively support the war of aggression against Ukraine.