LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) – The Russian Olympic Committee has appealed last month’s IOC injunction against its inclusion of Ukraine’s Sports Council to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
CAS registered an appeal on Monday, but said it was “unable to indicate a deadline” for a verdict by the panel of judges. A hearing could be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the court and the International Olympic Committee are located.
The legal dispute does not affect Russian athletes who are preparing to qualify and compete at next year’s Paris Olympics.
The recent dispute between Russia and the IOC was sparked by the Russian Olympic body’s inclusion of sports councils from four regions in occupied eastern Ukraine as its own members.
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The IOC, which imposed the suspension last month, said Russia’s actions “violate the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine and constitute a violation of the Olympic Charter.”
The Republic of China made a similar move in 2016, incorporating a sports council in the Crimea region, which was annexed by Russia two years earlier. The IOC did not issue a suspension at that time.
CAS said on Monday that Russia’s appeal seeks the return of the Republic of China “enjoying all rights and privileges granted by the Olympic Charter.”
The suspension deprives the Republic of China of its share of Olympic broadcast and sponsorship funds worth millions of dollars during each four-year Olympic funding cycle. Russian officials are reportedly considering legal action to access funds owed due to economic sanctions during Ukraine’s war.
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