MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Russian Investigative Committee has interrogated more than 50 athletes and trainers, as well as members of the Ministry of Sport and national federations, in doping-related cases, Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) President Alexander Zhukov said Wednesday.
"During its investigation of criminal cases concerning violations of anti-doping rules, prosecutors from the investigative committee of Russia have questioned more than 50 athletes, coaches, experts and employees of the Ministry of Sport together with the individual sport federations, who are responsible for implementing international anti-doping rules in Russia," Zhukov said.
Speaking at the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) General Assembly in Doha, Zhukov added that several officials have been dismissed from their posts within the ministry and subsidiary organizations in ongoing cases.
"Criminal liability has been introduced for the trainers, doctors and specialists, who encourage doping. All those people involved in doping scandals have been disqualified and suspended from athletic activities," the ROC chief noted.
The ROC chief also called for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to promptly reinstate Russia's track and field athletes, Paralympians, the Moscow anti-doping lab and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA).
In July, WADA presented a report accusing Russia of running a state-wide doping program and urging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to consider a blanket ban on the entire Russian team. The IOC instead opted to let individual sports federations decide on the matter.
On July 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin said commenting on WADA report that political interference in sports was a dangerous practice that risked splitting the entire Olympic movement. He also promised that Russia would carry out an investigation into allegations mentioned in the WADA report and that Russian officials implicated in it as direct perpetrators of doping violations would be suspended through course of investigation.
