Within the period from June 2017 to June 2019, RUSADA Investigation Department has conducted a series of activities, which revealed the facts of the prohibited method use in one of the sports schools of the Chuvash Republic. In the course of investigation activities, numerous cases of anti-doping rules violations (use of a prohibited method) by athletes of the Chuvash Republic have been revealed.
More than 140 people have been interviewed. According to the results of the investigation, more than 60 cases of possible anti-doping rules violations by athletes and athlete’s personnel have been detected.
Currently, proceedings on possible anti-doping rule violations are planned to be opened against 33 athletes, among them:
Sambo: 3
Cycling: 5
Biathlon: 2
Gymnastics: 1
Boxing: 1
Wrestling: 1
Skiing: 1
Track and Field Athletics: 17
Deaf Sport (Track and Field Athletics): 1
Sports for Persons with Physical Impairment (Track and Field Athletics): 1
Earlier in June 2017, information on one of the physicians (athlete’s personnel) was sent to law enforcement agencies, criminal proceedings were instituted against the physician under Article 230.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the case was discontinued in November 2017 due to the absence of the crime composition in the physician’s actions. Then RUSADA appealed to the initiators of the draft Law on the introduction of criminal liability under articles 230.1 and 230.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (members of the State Duma) to send a request to the Prosecutor's office of the Chuvash Republic in order to clarify the reasons for justification to dismiss the criminal charges.
In April 2018, the decision to dismiss the criminal case was canceled and the case was sent to the Inquiry Department for additional investigation.
However, the material had been submitted by the Inquiry Department more than 3 months later, after the additional investigation, a second order to discontinue the criminal case due to the lack of corpus delicti in the physician’s actions was issued.
It should be noted that the reason for such decision was the fact that, according to the documents submitted by the health center, the sports physician had not been informed, since she was on vacation and was not informed that using the prohibited method in sports could attract criminal liability under Articles 230.1 and 230.2 of the Criminal Code.
The indicated person has been a sports physician for several years and must have not only be officially informed, but also be compliant with the anti-doping rules.
The Federal Law of November 22, 2016 № 392- ФЗ introduced criminal liability for coaches, sports medicine specialists and other specialists in the field of Physical culture and Sports to induce an athlete to use substances and (or) methods prohibited for use in sports (Article 230.1 of the Criminal Code), for use of substances and (or) methods, prohibited for use in sports, against an athlete by coaches, sports medicine specialists or other specialists in the field of Physical culture and Sports, except cases where, in accordance with Russian legislation, this does not constitute an anti-doping rules violation (Article 230.2 of the Criminal Code).