Russian paralympic suspension 'grave human rights abuse'
- 8 years ago
The head of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) said a decision to suspend Russian athletes from next month’s Paralympics was “a grave human rights abuse.”
The blanket ban on Russian athletes has been imposed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Its decision comes in the wake of a report of the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren which alleged that Russia had operated a state-controlled doping programme.
Vladimir Lukin told a news conference he was ready to provide evidence that the Russian team had run a tight anti-doping programme.
In the meantime, he said the Russian Paralympic team will continue preparing for the games.
“Over the period of more than three years, either 35 or 20 doping samples have been found but they have disappeared and the names [of Para-athletes] are not given. However, a decision was made on this ground to suspend the RPC’s membership. This means an actual ban on our athletes to compete at the Paralympics,” Lukin said.
“First, 270 clean Paralympic athletes, who have never had any violations, are punished, their fates are being broken.” said Lukin. “And then they will find out if it was true or not, why or not why. It’s an incredible thing by which I am extremely shocked.”
The international body for archery said in a statement on Sunday (August 7) that the decision was made for political reasons and contravenes the main principal of the Paralympic movement.
Its comments were echoed by Moscow resident Elena Smirnova.
“It is clear why this happens. This is politics. And when politics is mixed with other spheres of life – culture, sport – it is outrageous. What can we do? Well, nothing. Maybe the only thing to do would be to simply boycott this Olympics, maybe this is not the right thing to do – but that’s what I think.”
Russia announced that it would appeal against the ban in court.
The blanket ban on Russian athletes has been imposed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Its decision comes in the wake of a report of the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) led by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren which alleged that Russia had operated a state-controlled doping programme.
Vladimir Lukin told a news conference he was ready to provide evidence that the Russian team had run a tight anti-doping programme.
In the meantime, he said the Russian Paralympic team will continue preparing for the games.
“Over the period of more than three years, either 35 or 20 doping samples have been found but they have disappeared and the names [of Para-athletes] are not given. However, a decision was made on this ground to suspend the RPC’s membership. This means an actual ban on our athletes to compete at the Paralympics,” Lukin said.
“First, 270 clean Paralympic athletes, who have never had any violations, are punished, their fates are being broken.” said Lukin. “And then they will find out if it was true or not, why or not why. It’s an incredible thing by which I am extremely shocked.”
The international body for archery said in a statement on Sunday (August 7) that the decision was made for political reasons and contravenes the main principal of the Paralympic movement.
Its comments were echoed by Moscow resident Elena Smirnova.
“It is clear why this happens. This is politics. And when politics is mixed with other spheres of life – culture, sport – it is outrageous. What can we do? Well, nothing. Maybe the only thing to do would be to simply boycott this Olympics, maybe this is not the right thing to do – but that’s what I think.”
Russia announced that it would appeal against the ban in court.