“We demand to set a precedent”: the lawyer announced the fake signatures of Rodchenkov in the case of Russian biathletes

“The presumption of innocence must be returned to sport”

The Lausanne Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has begun hearings on appeals by Russian biathletes Olga Zaitseva, Olga Vilukhina and Yana Romanova, accused of violating the anti-doping rules by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). During the debate of the parties, the athlete’s lawyer Alexey Panich provided evidence that the documents on the basis of which the initial verdict was issued contain fake signatures of the former head of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov. This conclusion was made by both Russian and British experts, Panich said.

“The IOC’s irresponsibility and incompetence has led athletes to spend a ton of their money and time. In a convenient system created by officials only for them, they have practically no chance to prove their innocence. We demand from CAS to create a new precedent and we want a fair compensation for moral damage and expenses incurred, ”Panich quotes TASS.

Now biathletes intend to demand reimbursement of costs in tenfold. According to the lawyer, during the investigation of their cases, many mistakes were made not only by the IOC, but also by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

“A supranational police structure that does not obey anyone violates human rights at every step and does not follow its own rules. Shifts its many mistakes with impunity to athletes, crippling human destinies. It is necessary to return to the sport the presumption of innocence, which has been suffering for centuries, as the cornerstone of world law, the protection of human rights is more important than the commercial interests of WADA, ”added Panich.

At the moment, the IOC has not responded to the charge of providing forged documents. The court gave the defendant a day to clarify the situation, the source said.

Rodchenkov’s documents are the most important evidence in the case of not only Zaitseva, Vilukhina and Romanova, but also a number of Russian athletes. At the end of 2017, the IOC disqualified biathletes for life on the basis of the conclusions made by the Denis Oswald commission. They were accused of violating the anti-doping rules that allegedly took place during the Olympic Games in Sochi. In particular, they talked about the presence of scratches on the test tubes, as well as the increased salt content in the samples.

Zaitseva, Romanova and Vilukhina were deprived of the silver relay medals, and the latter lost the title of vice champion of the Olympics in the sprint. In January 2018, they filed an appeal against the decision of the IOC, but CAS began to consider it only now. This was due to the fact that at that time all three biathletes had already completed professional careers.

Closed hearings will continue on March 3. It is worth noting that initially the prosecution insisted that they be open. This request was granted, however, due to the coronavirus epidemic in Europe, it was decided not to let the media representatives into the courtroom. In addition, mobile phones were seized from all participants in the process before the meeting. This was reported by a TASS source close to the process.

“We are waiting for the development of events”

In connection with the discovery of fake signatures, many in Russia are confident that the case could end in favor of Zaitseva, Vilukhina and Romanova. According to the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Svetlana Zhurova, recently the Russian side has taken a large number of measures to protect athletes, which has paid off in CAS.

“Now we have good lawyers who can analyze and identify such violations, insist on them. A person who speaks out or, for example, falsifies signatures, must understand that this will be used, ”Zhurova said.

A similar point of view is shared by the chairman of the State Duma committee on physical education, sports, tourism and youth affairs Mikhail Degtyarev. He expressed the hope that biathletes will receive compensation, as the IOC decided on the basis of dubious sources.

“The deprivation of well-deserved awards and lifelong exclusion from the Olympic Games is a serious blow for an athlete, fans and a big loss for the country. The society has long been disappointed with international sports organizations that openly violate the norms of the Olympic Charter and the Anti-Doping Code, ”Degtyarev said.

Well-known commentator Dmitry Guberniev also responded to information about fake documents.

“Grigory Rodchenkov forged signatures on the very documents that the IOC and WADA are guided by. And CAS accepted the statement of Russian lawyers and will demand an explanation from the IOC. Can you imagine how much this changes things? In any case, we are waiting for the development of events. Our athletes will win everyone - at distances and in courts, ”Guberniev said in a video on his Instagram page.