IPC Decision on Russian Paralympic Athletes Violates Int'l Law - Lawmaker

A decision by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to refuse Russian athletes the access to qualifying events for 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in South Korea violates the Olympic Charter and all norms of international law, a senior Russian lawmaker said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The IPC announced the decision earlier on Monday, ignoring concrete assurances by the Russian Paralympic Committee and without providing any explanation for the rejection.

"The decision by the International Paralympic Committee, refusing the proposal by the RPC to allow Russian Paralympic athletes to compete in qualifying events for the [2018] Winter Games, absolutely violates the Olympic Carter and all imaginable international legal norms," Mikhail Degtyarev, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth Affairs, told R-Sport in a phone call.

Degtyarev added that his committee will hold a meeting on February 7 to discuss the preparation of the Russian national Paralympic Team for 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang in light of the IPC decision.