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SPORT AND DIPLOMACY IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE
RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR

A SPORTS LAW AND POLICY CENTRE AND LAWINSPORTJOINT SURVEY

Michele Colucci and Sean Cottrell (eds)

V.H. Almeida – C. Anderson – I. Aguiar Gallardo – M. Bałaziński – Y. Bogdanova –R. Brägger –M. Bro – N. Chiriac – S. Civale – M. Colucci – A. Coni – K. Damjanovic –A. Danilevich – L. Darcis – A. Gursoy Artan – L. Hadjidemetriou – L. Hilliger – P. Konitsioti –L. Korbee – S. Ledure – K. Letniowska – M.-A. Lindhardt – A. Lo Surdo S.C. – D. Lo Surdo –K. Ludwig – S. Malvestio – F. Majani – R. Morozov – S. Ng – J. Teles Nogueira –K. van den Oetelaar – F. Vasquez Rivera – K. Šamija – R. Botica Santos – T. Patrão Silva –A. Smirnova – V. Smokvina – Sophia Touiker - J.F. Vandellos Alamilla – S.J. Zambrano Solano –M. Zhurava – T. Yamazaki

2022

1

Introduction
Sport can play an important role in the reconstruction of people and places and restoring peace,particularly in a form of soft power in periods of conflicts. As Professor Simon Rofe aptly notes:“States can reach millions if not billions of people across the world as audiences through… MSE[Mega Sporing Events, such as the World Cup]. Given their transnational character they allow for
the dissemination of ‘public diplomacy’ – to win the ‘hearts and minds’… on a grand scale and in
more pervasive means than individually or nationally focused programmes…When traditional
diplomacy (be it international or domestic) does not appear to provide an avenue for change,
athletes and others have used the tremendous audiences at sporting events as a platform for theirmessage…”.1
The invasion of Ukraine has caused International Organizations, national governments, and sports
associations to reflect on, and address, an appropriate response; raising issues of diplomacy, sport
policy, and law. At the same time, what organisations may wish to do, and what they can do from alegal, regulatory and/or governance perspective may differ.
On 28 February 2022, only 4 days after the invasion of the Russian military into Ukraine, theInternational Olympic Committee recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be prevented
from competing in international events.
All 30 International Sports Associations which have been examined in the present survey havedecided to suspend all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, fromparticipation in their competitions until further notice.
On 15 July 2022 the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced that the appeals filed by the Russian
Football Association of Russia and four Russian Clubs against the decisions taken by the Bureau of
the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee (the UEFA appeal) to suspend all Russian
teams and clubs from participation in their respective competitions until further notice have been
dismissed and the Challenged Decisions are confirmed.
In the Panel’s view it is unfortunate that the current military operations in Ukraine, for which
Russian football teams, clubs, and players have themselves no responsibility, had, by reason of thedecisions of FIFA and UEFA, such an adverse effect on them and Russian football generally, but
those effects were, in the Panel’s view, offset by the need for the secure and orderly conduct offootball events for the rest of the world.
This survey has no political goal; it exclusively aims to help sport stakeholders globally to be better
equipped to address these challenges and develop a clear understanding of how sports organisations
could or should react to similar situations, which we sincerely hope never to happen again.
Finally, we sincerely wish to thank all colleagues for their kind availability and for their precious
feedback, Aidan Shipman for the thoughtful editing, Khayran Noor for research help, and Antonella
Frattini for her patience and professionalism in gathering and putting together the information
received from the authors.
Brussels – London, 25 July 2022
Michele Colucci

Sean Cottrell

1Professor J, Simon Rofe, Sport and diplomacy (Key Studies in Diplomacy MUP Series), Manchester University Press(2018)
2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. The Olympic Movement
On 24 February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) strongly condemned thebreach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian Government.
The following day, the IOC urged all International Federations to relocate or cancel their sports
events planned in Russia or Belarus.
In addition, the IOC EB urged that no Russian or Belarussian national flag be displayed, and no
Russian or Belarussian anthem be played at international sports events not already part of therespective World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sanctions for Russia.
Furthermore, it set up a special “IOC task force”, led by Sergey Bubka, who was constantly incontact with the Olympic Community in Ukraine to coordinate humanitarian assistance.
On 28 February 2022, to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all
the participants, the IOC Executive Board (EB) recommended that International Sports Federations
and sports event organisers against inviting or allowing the participation of Russian and Belarusianathletes and officials in international competitions.
Where this was not possible on such short notice for organisational or legal reasons, the IOC EB
strongly urged International Sports Federations and organisers of sports events worldwide to do
everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports official from Russia or Belarus beallowed to take part under the name of Russia or Belarus; Russian or Belarusian nationals, be it asindividuals or teams, should be accepted only as neutral athletes or neutral teams. The IOC
confirmed that no national symbols, colours, flags or anthems should be displayed.
On the 11 March 2022, IOC President, Thomas Bach, in his “Give peace a chance message” statedthat “sports competitions or events should not take place in the territory of the Russian Federationor the Republic of Belarus. No national or state symbols of any kind of these countries should be
displayed at any event organised by the Olympic Movement”.2 Finally, he concluded by urging“every sports organisation in the world to protect the integrity, fairness and safety of theircompetitions by not allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part or in special
circumstances to at least prohibit any identification of their nationality”.3
The European Olympic Committees (EOC) immediately endorsed the IOC position condemning
the breach of the Olympic Truce. The EOC called on all its Members to stand in solidarity with the
Ukrainian Olympic Community. Russian and Belarus athletes and officials were banned fromparticipating in the 2022 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) held in Vuokatti,
Finland, between 20-25 March 2022.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) initially decided that the RPC and NPC Belarus
would participate as neutrals at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. They would compete
under the Paralympic flag and not be included in the medal table. Furthermore, the IPC also decided
not to hold any events in Russia or Belarus until further notice.
2
3

Available on https://olympics.com/ioc/news/-give-peace-a-chance (last visited on 27 June 2022).
Ibidem.
3

The day after their initial announcement, however, the IPC Governing Board decided to ban allathletes from the RPC and NPC Belarus for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

2. The International Sports Federations and the implementing measures
All International Sports Federations examined have implemented the IOC Recommendations
towards Russian national teams, clubs, athletes, and officials.
All of them have banned – where relevant – the representatives of national and club teams, andofficials from Russia and Belarus.
Many Federations have banned, or suspended until further notice, athletes from competing ininternational competitions. This is the case for World Archery (Archery), World Athletics(Athletics), WBSC (Baseball and Softball), ICF (Canoeing), WFC (Curling), FIG (Gymnastic),
ILF (Luge), UIPM (Pentathlon), World Rowing (Rowing), ISU (Skating), FIS (Skying),WORLD TAEKWONDO (Taekwondo), ITTF (Tennis Table), and WORLD TRIATHLON(Triathlon).
Some Federations (FIDE (Chess), FIA (Formula 1), IJF (Judo), World Sailing (Sailing), FINA
(Swimming), and ITF (Tennis)), have allowed the participation of Russian or Belarussian athletes
as “neutrals” under the flag of the relevant international association.
It is then worth noting that some International Federations such as IBU (biathlon), FIDE (Chess),
World Rugby (Rugby), ITF (tennis), have suspended the Russian and Belarus Federations because
they infringed the principles enshrined in their Statutes and Regulations.
World Archery (Archery), ICF (Canoeing), FIDE (Chess), WFC (Curling), UCI (Cycling),
FIFA-UEFA (Football), FIA (Formula 1), FIG (Gymnastic), IIHF (ICE Hockey), ILF (Luge),FIS (Skiing), ISA (Surfing), WORLD TAEKWONDO (Taekwondo), ITTF (Tennis Table), andITF (Tennis) have explicitly prohibited Russia and Belarus from bidding for or hosting
international events.
All of them have prevented the national Russian and Belarus Federations from hosting international
events. Flags and anthems from the two countries have also been banned.
Every single Federation has expressed solidarity towards Ukraine and some of them such as ICF(Canoeing), FIG (Gymnastic), World Rowing (Rowing), World Rugby (Rugby), and ITF(Tennis) have established special solidarity funds for Ukrainian Athletes and their families.

3. Appeals before the Court of Arbitration for Sport
It has been rightly underlined that “in the light of “the variety of the sanctions imposed in different
sports disciplines on the Russian athletes, the reaction of the Russian sports organizations, clubs
and athletes differed drastically depending on the severity of the measures and specifics of the
sports discipline. Many of the decisions issued by the international sports federations were4

appealed by the Russian sports federations, clubs and individual athletes to the Court of Arbitrationfor Sport and the internal judicial bodies of the international sports federations”. 4
CAS provided information about ten arbitral proceedings initiated by the various Russian sports
organizations, most of which are pending at the time of publication of this report; one appeal had
been withdrawn and one procedure suspended.
In the two arbitration proceedings initiated by the Football Union of Russia (FUR) against thedecisions of FIFA and UEFA to suspend all the FUR teams from participating in FIFA and UEFA
competitions until further notice, namely CAS 2022/A/8709 Football Union of Russia (FUR) v.
Union of European Football Associations et al. and CAS 2022/A/8708 Football Union of Russia(FUR) v. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) et al., the Football Union of
Russia sought interim relief, namely for CAS to “grant the suspensive effect to the Appeal and/or ifneeded, order [FIFA and UEFA] to take all necessary measures to reinstate immediately all
Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, for participation in[FIFA/UEFA] competitions, including, but without limitation, in the competitions (…)”
On 8 April 2022 by the President of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division issued two orders on
Requests for Provisional Measures in the afore-referenced proceedings where the applications forprovisional measures filed by the Football Union of Russia were rejected. 5
On 23 June 2022, CAS upheld the appeals filed by the Russian Weightlifting Federation (RWF),
Maxim Agapitov, Dmitry Chernogorov and Aleksandr Kishkin against the four decisions renderedon 23 May 2022 by the Eligibility Determination Panel (EDP) IWF by which the RWF was“prohibited from nominating any candidate for election to the Executive Board, any IWF
Commission and any IWF Committee for the IWF elections to be held in June 2022” and, as aconsequence, the three candidates Agapitov, Chernogorov and Kishkin were declared ineligible forthe same elections. The CAS Panel set the challenged decisions aside, having found that IWF EDP
did not have jurisdiction to prevent the RWF from nominating candidates for the elections. 6
On 15 July 2022 the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced that the appeals filed by FUR as wellas the appeals of four Russian Clubs against the decisions taken accordingly by the Bureau of theFIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee (the UEFA appeal) to suspend all Russian
teams and clubs from participation in their respective competitions until further notice have been
dismissed and the challenged decisions are confirmed. 7
In the Panel’s view it is “unfortunate that the current military operations in Ukraine, for which
Russian football teams, clubs, and players have themselves no responsibility, had, by reason of thedecisions of FIFA and UEFA, such an adverse effect on them and Russian football generally, but
those effects were, in the Panel’s view, offset by the need for the secure and orderly conduct offootball events for the rest of the world”. 8

4

See A. Smirnova, the section on “Russia” of this report.
Availableon
https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/8709_reasoned_OPM__publication_.pdf
andhttps://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/8708_Reasoned_OPM__publication_.pdf
6
Available on https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Media_Release_8915_et_al.pdf
7
Available on https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Media_Release_8708_8709_8865_8866_8867_
8868_Decision.pdf (last visited on 16 July 2022).
8
Ibidem.
5

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4. Appeals before the relevant bodies of the International Sports Associations
4.1. The case of the European Tennis Table Union
Particularly interesting, is the case of the European Tennis Table Union. In March 2022, the ETTU
Executive Board decided not to invite Russian and Belarusian players and officials to events hosted
by ETTU and to ban Russian and Belarusian national symbols, flags and anthems from being
displayed until further notice.
The ETTU Executive Board decided that Russian clubs would not be permitted to compete in any
European Club competitions for the 2021-2022 season. This included Russian clubs due to compete
in the semi-final and final of the Men’s Champions League.
On 27 April 2022, the ETTU Executive Board issued a statement confirming that it had received thedecision of the Board of Appeal on the appeal lodged by the Table Tennis Federation of Russia, inwhich it ruled against the decision to suspend the Russian table tennis clubs Fakel Gazprom
Orenburg and TTSC UMMC from last season’s semi-final and final of the Champions League.
The ETTU emphasized that it had no wish to punish athletes for the decisions of their governments,
however the decision to suspend the Russian clubs was taken to protect athlete safety and ensure theintegrity of its competitions, in line with the recommendations of the IOC and ITTF9.
On 16 May 2022, the ETTU stated that the ETTU Executive Board had submitted new information
to the Board of Appeal and requested a revision of the judgment on the appeal of the Table Tennis
Federation of Russia, Fakel Gazprom Orenburg and TTSC UMMC regarding the Table Tennis
Champions League season 2021-202210. On the date of this Survey no further information isavailable in respect of the court and the outcome of these proceedings.
4.2. The case of the International Luge Federation
On 2 March 2022, following the IOC Decision of 28 February 2022, FIL among others, passed thefollowing resolutions, declaring that:-

Russia is ineligible to host any FIL sanctioned events.
All Russian athletes, coaches and officials are excluded from all FIL sanctioned events.
Russian representatives appointed by the FIL Executive Board to various commissions andWorking Groups are suspended from their positions.
FIL will initiate an investigation into certain derogatory and disturbing social media posts by
Russian athletes directed at Ukraine11.

The decision was appealed by the Russian Luge Federation to the FIL Court of Arbitration and,
subsequently, on 7 April 2022, the FIL Court of Arbitration annulled all measures imposed on 2
March 2022 against the Russian Luge Federation.
In response, on 11 April 2022, the FIL Executive Board stated that “the FIL leadership, together
with the FIL Legal Committee, will look for possibilities to solve the unsatisfactory situation causedby the arbitration judgment of the FIL Court of Arbitration by means of a possible change in the9

Available on https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/april/ettu-eb-/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
Available on https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/may/ettu-statement-on-board-of-appeal-decision/ (last visited on
23 June 2022).
11
Available on https://www.fil-luge.org/en/news/resolution-of-the-fil-executive-board (last visited on 23 June 2022).
10

6

statutes, which would have to be decided by a 2/3 majority at the ordinary FIL Congress on June
18-19, 2022 in Riga/LAT”12.

5. The national Scenario: A Comparative Analysis
5.1. State Responses
Following the invasion of Ukraine, countries around the world and their national sports
organisations moved to take swift action to respond. On 3 March 2022, the UK Secretary of State,
Nadine Dorries, and Sports Minister, Nigel Huddleston, with their counterparts in 36 othercountries, including the United States, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Canada and Poland as
well as the President of the IPC, convened a meeting to discuss what action to take against Russia
and Belarus. This summit resulted in a joint declaration of the 37 countries. Following the summit,
many countries applied sanctions against Russia and Belarus including, trade restrictions travel
restrictions and the freezing of assets (Australia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, United
Kingdom, Greece, Italy, Moldova, The Netherlands, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
and Turkey).
However, from the responses we have received, it is clear some countries have not yet applied sanctions at anational level (Republic of Belarus, Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria and Serbia).

The sanctions implemented at national level against Russia and Belarus are well documented. Hereare a few examples of the breadth of sanctions and approaches:







In the UK over 1,000 individuals and businesses have been imposed and they include travelbans as well as freezing of all assets held in the UK;
Japan suspended entry visas to Japan for designated individuals related to Russia and froze
assets held by designated individuals and entities related to Russia in Japan. The country
also took steps to prevent exports of military equipment and other goods;
The Netherlands appointed a National Coordinator for Sanctions Compliance andEnforcement (NCSH) to strengthen the compliance and enforcement of the sanctions. They
have applied sanctions against those in the top 200 sanctions list, and across regulated andnon-regulated services such as real estate, art and heritage, business property and nonfinancial services;
Switzerland adopted sanctions on goods prohibiting imports and exports, froze assets andintroduced travel sanctions, and a ban on take-off and landing of Russian aircraft; andIn Turkey the government designated the Russian invasion as a “war,” giving it the rightunder the 1936 Montreux Convention to close the Bosporus Strait - which leads to the BlackSea - to warships. Although this action applies to any naval vessel, it is clearly aimed at
Russia’s fleet in case Moscow seeks to reinforce the firepower it already has there. Turkey’s
decision is, at least, an important symbolic one in support of Ukraine.

5.2. National Olympic Committees responses
The sports community across the world united to show its opposition to the invasion of the Ukraine.
Many of the National Olympic Committees endorsed the IOC recommendations while many

12

Available on https://www.fil-luge.org/de/news/statement-of-the-fil-executive-board-on-the-decision-of-the-fil-courtof-arbitration-in-the-case-fil-executive-board-v-russian-luge-federation (last visited on 23 June 2022).
7

national sports federations both prohibited the participation of Russian and Belarussian clubs intheir competitions, and took measures directed towards officials and athletes.

Some National Olympic Committee endorsed and followed the IOC recommendations (Australia,
Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, United Kingdom, Greece, The Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia,
Spain and Switzerland) whereas some have not (yet) endorsed these recommendations (Republicof Belarus, Brazil, Ghana, Malaysia and Moldova).
The measure taken by the following NOC’s go beyond the IOCs recommendations:








In Australia the NOC has urged member sports to not invite teams/athletes and officials
from Russia & Belarus, to rescind any invitations already issued and to withdraw Australian
athletes and officials from any sports events where they may be participating;
In Croatia the NOC gave Ukrainian athletes the opportunity to continue training andplaying sports with the help of its member national sports federations, as supported by theEuropean Olympic Committees. 157 athletes from Ukraine are training and preparing in 13
sports in Croatia;
In Denmark the NOC and Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF) has publicly endorsed
the ban on Russia and Belarus from all international sports and sporting events. It has also
called upon confederations and clubs to not have any sporting relations with the countries inDenmark as well as calling upon the international federations to ban them from all sporting
relations;
Ecuador banned all Russian or Belarussian athletes from any sport tournaments inside
Ecuadorian territory. Prohibited participation in sports events organized by Russia or
Belarus; and,In The Netherlands the Olympic Committee called on its affiliated sports organisations tourge their international federations to move sports events currently planned in Russia or
Belarus, and to exclude athletes and sports teams from Russia and Belarus fromparticipating in sports events organised by the international federations elsewhere.

5.3. National sports federations responses
As with the NOCs some national sports federations have responded, often in countries where their
NOC and government has implemented or recommended that measures are taken (Australia,
Brazil, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, United Kingdom, Greece & Italy). Where there has not been
this approach the national federations unsurprisingly have not acted (Ecuador, Ghana). Examplesof the range of measures taken by national sports federations include:
In Croatia the support has been provided by sports federations such as rowing, volleyball, boxing& diving. The Football Federation facilitated the registration of players from Ukraine and, at thesame time, reopened the transfer market window for players from Russia and Ukraine in accordancewith FIFA guidelines. They also hosted a delegation from Ukrainian football club Dynamo Kiev,
which played a charity match against Dinamo Zagreb. Croatian football club Hajduk Split played acharity match against football club Shakhtar Donetsk, both former clubs of Darijo Srna (former
Croatian National team captain), while Croatian football club Rijeka played a match against the
Ukrainian national team.

The Cyprus Football Association did not permit any international transfers from Russia andUkraine, outside its fixed registration periods, despite the provisions of Annex 7 of the FIFA
Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. It is worth noting Pafos FC, has been owned by8

two Russians (Sergey Lomakin and Roman Dubov) and Aris Limassol FC, owned by a Belarussian(Vladimir Federov). Another Russian investor has recently acquired control of another small firstdivision club and seems to be interested in making a serious investment in the club. The owners of
the first two clubs do not seem to have been in any way affected by the measures adopted
internationally against Russians and Russian capital with close ties to the Russian government.
Interestingly, a small number of Ukrainians play in Cyprus one of whom plays for a team owned by
Russian owners. These athletes have openly expressed, during football matches, their support for
Ukraine by carrying the Ukraine flag before and after the match, including the Ukrainian playing in
the team owned by the two Russian individuals.

In Denmark the football league adopted FIFA’s temporary regulations. They also urgently adopted
a new circular that was specifically targeted at international players from the leagues in Ukraine andRussia and gave all Danish clubs the opportunity to sign contracts with one international playerfrom the Ukrainian and Russian leagues on an ongoing basis until the end of the 2021/22 season.
In Italy the Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul was helped to officiate womens’ Serie A matches.
The Italian and Ukrainian national synchronized swimming and judo teams have trained together.
In the Netherlands the football association (KNVB) originally decided to boycott games against
both Russia and Belarus. However, on 6 May 2022, the KNVB decided to lift the boycott against
Belarus. The KNVB mentioned that it had already gone further than UEFA and other countries by
boycotting Belarus, but other countries continued to play against Belarus, as a result of which along-term boycott by the KNVB would have no effect. Moreover, the KNVB mentioned that since
the competitors for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification in fact do play against
Belarus, this would have made it difficult for the Netherlands to qualify for the World Cup.
Therefore, since 6 May 2022, the KNVB has only limited its boycott to Russia.
In Poland the Ministry of Sport and Tourism launched a helpline for sports athletes coming from
Ukraine who are currently in Poland or are headed thereto. The helpline is aimed at facilitating
athletes in finding accommodation and a base for training. The project is supported by the Polish
Anti-Doping Agency (POLADA) and the Polish Football Association (PZPN). Furthermore, as aresult of amendments to the relevant regulations adopted by PZPN, Polish football clubs are entitled
to register an unlimited number of football players of Ukrainian citizenship, including amateurs,
and are not required to present their visa and work permit for such purposes. Additionally,
Ukrainian football players can be fielded by their current clubs in particular football matches
without any limitations. The Polish National Team supported by PZPN refused to play against
Russia in the qualifiers to the FIFA World Cup 2022. This decision was later approved by FIFA
who consequently excluded the Russian Team from the competition. On the league level, footballclubs tended to welcome Ukrainian players to train at their facilities. Numerous charity matches
were played both within professional and amateur football. By way of example, in collaboration
with the Ukrainian Football Association and Ukrainian football clubs, two charity matches on thecentral professional level were organized – a match between Legia Warszawa and Dynamo Kyiv on
12 April 2022 and a match between Lechia Gdańsk and Shakhtar Donetsk on 14 April 2022.
In Portugal: The Handball Federation allowed registration of Ukrainian players, free of charge orregistration fees, until 1 April, with a view to their participation in official, national and regional
competitions. In addition, it has also enacted other support measures of a non-sporting nature, suchas allowing these individuals to enroll and attend higher education and polytechnic courses, inaccordance with the federation’s protocols with those institutions. The Volleyball Federation
announced that it was available “to receive, at no cost, Ukrainian athletes, namely the Ukrainian
Beach Volleyball doubles teams and, in indoor volleyball, the National Under-17 Women’s and9Under-18 Men’s teams, so that they could prepare with dignity for the 2nd Qualifying Round of therespective European Championships, being able to extend their stay there for as long as theywanted.
In Spain Sports federations, in collaboration with the Spanish Government, agreed a ban on theparticipation of national teams, clubs and other sports organizations, as well as athletes selected by
Russia, or alternatively a ban on athletes competing under the Russian flag, in all international
competitions organized in the Spanish territory. Athletes, clubs and all Spanish sports federations
were requested not to take part in any sports events organized in Russia. Where possible,organizations were requested to limit sponsorship and any kind of financial support from entities
linked to the Russian Federation. All national and international sports organizations and all relevant
entities were requested not to sanction athletes, coaches, officials or public workers who opted tounilaterally terminate their contracts with Russian or Belarussian clubs, and not to prosecute or
sanction event organizers who decide to ban the participation of athletes or teams selected by
Russia. LaLiga condemned the invasion and displayed banners in stadiums and during the broadcast(national and international) of matches with the slogan “no to invasion”. They signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with the Ukrainian Premier League to promote footballdevelopment. On 29 March 2022 LaLiga launched the campaign “Hacemos equipo por la Paz” with
its clubs and the Spanish Red Cross, with several initiatives, such as a fundraising, solidarity
auctions and collecting of medicines and other essential goods. LaLiga’s clubs have also carried out
numerous activities like donations, fundraisings, collecting food and essential goods and providing
their buses for the travel of the Ukrainian refugees. The Royal Spanish Football Federation started a
crowdfunding campaign and donated sportswear to Ukranian refugees. The Royal Spanish Athletics
Federation offered in March 2022 to host Ukrainian athletes, and is hosting 18 Ukrainians (athletes, families
and trainers) in Spain for 50 days. The federation is also organizing two races whose registrations will go
entirely to help this group of Ukrainian athletes.

In Sweden the Swedish Bandy Federation intends to recommend Swedish clubs to not enter into
any employment contracts with Russian players. Russian players already in Sweden, i.e. prior to theissuance of such a recommendation, should not be affected. In addition to the individual sports
associations’ response to the Russian invasion, the Swedish Sports Confederation (the umbrellaorganisation for the Swedish sports movement) has requested 50 million SEK from the Swedish
government for the purpose of supporting Swedish clubs’ efforts to provide assistance throughactivities for the people arriving in Sweden from Ukraine.
In the UK sanctions against Russian businesspeople extended into sport with the two most highprofile sanctioned individuals being Alisher Usmanov and Roman Abramovich. Usmanov was
President of the Fédération Internationale d’Escrime (fencing’s world governing body) and throughseveral companies (USM, Megafon and Yota) was a major sponsor of Everton FC. The standout
sanctions were imposed on Roman Abramovich. Unlike Usmanov at Everton, Mr Abramovich was
the owner of Chelsea FC and, as a result when sanctions imposed on him, Chelsea was directly
affected and was forced to find new owners.
Wimbledon went further than the rest of the sporting world and banned all Russian and Belarusianplayers from participating at the tournament, whether or not they denounced the war.
5.4. Further National Responses – Supporting Refugees
Whilst the sanctions against Russia and Belarus have been wide and far-reaching, the humanitarian
support shown for Ukrainian sports entities, athletes and its citizens has also been significant.
Examples of the solidarity with Ukrainians includes:
10

In Croatia 19,000 Ukrainians have found temporary homes in Croatia with the support of theGovernment. Sports federations focused on supporting Ukrainian athletes. Each national sports
federation will take care of Ukrainian athletes in coordination with the NOC of Croatia.
In Denmark the NOC through its current programs has focused on the integration of refugees from
Ukraine through the “get2sport” initiative.
In Italy the Italian Football Federation has eased the procedure to register minors coming from
Ukraine. All the registration and insurance fees shall be borne by the Federation.

In Moldova 92 refugee centers across the country with over 90 000 Ukrainian refugees (mainly
women & children) have been established in collaboration with the Government and the Moldovan
Football Association (FAM). FAM also arranged for players and their families from Dinamo Kyiv
and Shakhtar Donetsk during their transit through Moldova. FAM, together with its partners, will
carry football activities of a mass character for refugee children aged between 5 and 16 years olds.
In Portugal the FPF, called “Each Club, a Family”, the aim of which is to transform the clubs into a
supportive platform that facilitates integration into Portuguese society and provides hope to a
population in emergency situations after fleeing the war in Ukraine. Portuguese coach Paulo
Fonseca and his Ukraine-born wife Katerina, both of which had to flee from the war, are theambassadors of this FPF initiative. The main idea behind this project is for Portuguese clubs to act
as a “reception cell”, finding employment for an adult refugee and offering football practice to thehousehold’s children or minors. Dozens have already found a new job and home thanks to thisinitiative and many clubs are still available to help Ukrainians in need.
In Turkey the Union of Clubs brought 126 Ukrainian kids, whose ages were between 7-16 toTurkey via a charter flight. From their arrival until now these kids have been living at the academiesof four Turkish Super League Clubs: Trabzonspor, Çaykur Rizespor, Sivasspor and Kayserispor.
Several Ukrainian sports teams (National Deaf Basketball Team, National Deaf Orienteering Teamand one football club) who were in Turkey when the war began could not return to their country andare still being hosted in Turkey.

5.5. Impact on domestic athletes
Russian and Belarus athletes have been directly and indirect impacted.
The reaction to the invasion of Ukraine by Russian sports organizations, clubs and athletes differeddrastically. Many of the decisions issued by the international sports federations were appealed by
the Russian sports federations, clubs and individual athletes to the Court of Arbitration for Sportand the internal judicial bodies of the international sports federations.
Russian athletes playing abroad have been impacted in different ways, some have had to return to
Russia due to visa issues, some sports organisations such as NHL have stated its concern “about thewell-being of the players from Russia, who play in the NHL on behalf of their NHL Clubs, and not
on behalf of Russia”. Some players have been barred from competition such as the case with
Wimbledon which was opposed to the position of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the
Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Roland-Garros 2022, the French Open.
The situation with Belarus and its athletes are similar to that of Russia. Due to the IOC determined
the multiple cases of discrimination in Belarusian sport and has come to the conclusion that thecurrent NOC Bealrus leadership has not appropriately protected the Belarusian athletes from11

political discrimination. This resulted two packages of provisional measures were implemented by
the IOC towards NOC Belarus, including the measure of non-recognition of Viktor Lukashenko to
be an elected NOC President.

5.6. Sport in time of war crisis: looking back at history
Some Olympics Games, such as the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Berlin, saw countries threaten to pullout, before deciding to participate. World Wars I and II forced the cancellation of three Olympic
Games in 1916, 1940 and 1944. Germany and Japan were banned in 1948 because of their roles in
WWII. The same happened to South Africa during the era of apartheid and, more recently, Russia
was banned in 2020, because of the infamous doping scandal although individual athletes were
ultimately allowed to take part in international competitions under a neutral flag and designation.
Six times, however, countries officially boycotted the Olympic Games, with as few as three
countries refusing to compete in 1964 and as many as 65 nations staying home in 1980.13

Besides the Olympic Games, most of the countries in this survey did not have any previous
precedent for how to deal with such a war crisis.
However, Denmark, Malaysia referred to events that may have relevance:
On 30 May 1992 Denmark was added into the European Football Championship, following asporting boycott of Serbia and Montenegro after the United Nations Security Council adopted
Resolution 757, which called on all Member States to take various measures against the remaining
vestiges of the former Yugoslavia, i.e. Serbia and Montenegro. Unlike the other embargo areas(trade, capital transfers, transport, etc.), the Danish Government did not introduce any
penalties/sanctions for failure to abide by the request in the resolution text to back a sporting
boycott of Serbia and Montenegro, but at the same time recommended that the resolution becomplied with. DIF decided to follow the sporting boycott as recommended by the United Nations
and the Danish Parliament, announcing in this regard that the Danish sports community should takesocial responsibility by complying with Parliament’s foreign policy line. In these circumstances,
DIF instructed its special confederations and their members to follow the text of the resolution, but
only as far as the instruction would apply to athletes representing “Yugoslavia”.
In in 2019, Malaysia was stripped of the right to host the World Para Swimming Championships
because of the Government’s refusal to allow Israeli athletes to participate. Again, in November
2021, the World Men’s Team Squash Championship scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur from
7-12 December 2021 was cancelled after the Government of Malaysia refused to allow Israeli
athletes to take part. The Olympic Council of Malaysia had tried to obtain special permission forthese athletes but was unsuccessful. Following the cancellation of the Squash Championship, theIOC in December 2021 threatened to ban countries from hosting major events if they refused toallow athletes from certain countries to compete for political reasons. Since then, the Olympic
Council of Malaysia has been proactive and has prepared a paper to the Cabinet of Malaysia on theimplications of defying the IOC warning.

5.7. Impact on sponsorship agreements

13

The detailed list of countries which boycotted the Olympic
https://www.history.com/news/olympic-boycotts (last visited on 16 July 2022).

Games

is

availableon
12

A few countries did not have many if any Russian or Belarusian sponsors including Australia,
Brazil, Croatia, Ecuador, Greece. Others took specific actions against one or more Russiansponsors.
In the UK, for instance, some organisations suspended their sponsorship arrangements with Russiancompanies. Manchester United moved quickly to terminate their contract with Aeroflot, andEverton eventually suspended their sponsorship contracts with Russian companies linked to a
sanctioned individual.
In Italy AC Milan interrupted its partnership with a local sponsor, the Russian betting online
company FonBet.
In Spain: Real Madrid cancelled the regional sponsorship contract with the Russian betting
company “Fonbet” and decided to donate through its foundation €1m and 13,000 items of clothing
and sporting equipment to alleviate the humanitarian needs of those displaced in Ukrainian. FC
Barcelona, to date, maintains Russian betting company “1xBET” as one of their global sponsors.
In Switzerland: a first division ice hockey club EV Zug suspended it sponsorship agreement with
“Nord Stream AG”, a Swiss-based company with close connections to Russian “Gazprom”.
Finally, the sports associations the European Handball Federation Champions League
announced that clubs were released of their implementation obligations related to the sponsorshipwith “Nord Stream 2 AG”. The company was granted so-called provisional deferment of debt inaccordance with arts. 293a ss. of the Swiss Federal Act on Debt Collection and Bankruptcy (Swiss
Classified Compilation no. SR 281.1) by a court ruling of 10 May 2022 until 10 September 2022.

Conclusions
150 days have passed since the beginning of Russia - Ukraine war which threatens the existence ofa nation and, unfortunately, its destructive effects will last for generations. While the war is having
a substantial impact on the social, economic and political conditions of the countries involved – andnot only them - the sporting world has taken a significantly hit as well. It has been rightly said that
“Sporting activities invariably become collateral damage during any geopolitical crisis”. 14The
present survey has clearly showed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is no exception.
This report highlights the far-reaching impact of the invasion of the Ukraine has had at internationaland domestically around the world. The action taken by the world’s governments, sports
federations at national and international level, and at club/team level has differing legal andregulatory implications.
The speed at which these decisions had to be taken comes with obvious risks, that have alreadybeen and surely still will be subject to legal challenges as the basis for the decisions are scrutinised.
For example, it is likely that we will see more cases brought against sports institutions, as the
Ukrainian football club, Shakhtar Donetsk, did against the FIFA ruling allowing foreign players tounilaterally suspend their contracts in the Ukraine. They are seeking up to €50million in damages
according to reports.15
14

N. Thakwani, Impact of war-like situations on the sporting world, available on https://sportskhabri.com/impact-ofwar-like-situations-on-sports/ (last visited on 18 July 2022).
15
Adam Crafton, The Athletic, 18 July 2022, https://theathletic.com/3428825/2022/07/18/shakhtar-donetsk-seek-e50mof-damages-from-fifa-over-lost-transfer-fees/?source=user-shared-article (last accessed 18 July 2022).
13

All 30 examined International Sports Associations have decided to suspend the Russian teams,
whether national representative teams or club teams, from participation in their competitions unt ilfurther notice. Only history will show the effectiveness of such measures. However, particularly
significant is the fact that recently the Court of Arbitration for Sport has already decided that FIFAand UEFA were legitimate to suspend Russian clubs from their competitions in order to protect the
integrity of the game following the IOC recommendations.
What precedent the response to the invasion sets for the sports institutions for future conflictsituations in other parts of the world remains to be seen but we hope that this survey will provide a
helpful reference document to better understand what is happening across sport at this moment in
time.

14

TABLE OF CONTENTSPART I ........................................................................................................................................ 18
INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ....................................................................... 18
THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ..................................................................... 28
INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE ........................................................... 32
APPEALS BEFORE CAS AGAINST THE IOC DECISION .............................................. 34
PART II ....................................................................................................................................... 38
INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS....................................................................... 38
ARCHERY – WORLD ARCHERY ...................................................................................... 39
ATHLETICS – WORLD ATHLETICS ................................................................................ 42
BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL – WBSC .............................................................................. 47
BASKETBALL – FIBA .......................................................................................................... 49
BIATHLON – IBU ................................................................................................................. 54
CANOEING – ICF ................................................................................................................. 56
CHESS – FIDE ....................................................................................................................... 59
CURLING – WFC .................................................................................................................. 63
CYCLING – UCI .................................................................................................................... 65
FOOTBALL – FIFA – UEFA ................................................................................................ 70
FORMULA 1 – FIA................................................................................................................ 75
HANDBALL - IHF – EHF ..................................................................................................... 77
GYMNASTICS – FIG ............................................................................................................ 86
HOCKEY – FIH ..................................................................................................................... 90
ICE HOCKEY – IIHF ............................................................................................................ 92
JUDO – IJF ............................................................................................................................. 95
LUGE – ILF ............................................................................................................................ 99
PENTATHLON – UIPM ...................................................................................................... 101
ROWING – WORLD ROWING ......................................................................................... 103
RUGBY – WORLD RUGBY ............................................................................................... 104
SAILING – WORLD SAILING ........................................................................................... 107
SKATING – ISU ................................................................................................................... 111
SKIING – FIS ....................................................................................................................... 114
SURFING – ISA ................................................................................................................... 115
15

SWIMMING – FINA............................................................................................................ 116
TAEKWONDO – WORLD TAEKWONDO....................................................................... 117
TENNIS TABLE – ITTF – ETTF ........................................................................................ 119
TENNIS – ITF ...................................................................................................................... 125
TRIATHLON – WORLD TRIATHLON ............................................................................ 129
VOLLEYBALL – FIVB ....................................................................................................... 131
PART III ................................................................................................................................... 133
NATIONAL SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS ................................................................................. 133
AUSTRALIA ........................................................................................................................ 134
BELGIUM ............................................................................................................................ 136
REPUBLIC OF BELARUS.................................................................................................. 139
BRAZIL ................................................................................................................................ 142
CROATIA ............................................................................................................................. 145
CYPRUS ............................................................................................................................... 149
DENMARK........................................................................................................................... 151
ECUADOR ........................................................................................................................... 154
ENGLAND ............................................................................................................................ 156
GHANA................................................................................................................................. 160
GREECE ............................................................................................................................... 161
ITALY ................................................................................................................................... 164
JAPAN .................................................................................................................................. 166
KENYA ................................................................................................................................. 167
MALAYSIA .......................................................................................................................... 168
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA ............................................................................................... 170
THE NETHERLANDS ........................................................................................................ 172
NIGERIA .............................................................................................................................. 174
POLAND ............................................................................................................................... 175
PORTUGAL ......................................................................................................................... 178
RUSSIA ................................................................................................................................. 181
SERBIA................................................................................................................................. 191
KINGDOM OF SPAIN ........................................................................................................ 193
SWEDEN .............................................................................................................................. 197
SWITZERLAND .................................................................................................................. 200
REPUBLIC OF TURKEY ................................................................................................... 203
UKRAINE ............................................................................................................................. 205
REPUBLICA ORIENTAL DEL URUGUAY ..................................................................... 210
ANNEX ................................................................................................................................. 212
International Sports Federations and measures against Russia and Belarus .................... 212
16

17

PART IINTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

Overview
On 24 February 2022, the IOC strongly condemned the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian
Government. The day after, the IOC urged all International Federations to relocate or cancel theirsports events currently planned in Russia or Belarus. In addition, the IOC EB urged that no Russianor Belarussian national flag be displayed and no Russian or Belarussian anthem be played ininternational sports events which are not already part of the respective World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA) sanctions for Russia.
Furthermore, it set up a special “IOC task force”, led by Sergey Boubka, constantly in contact with
the Olympic Community in the country to coordinate humanitarian assistance.
On 28 February 2022, to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all
the participants, the IOC EB recommended that International Sports Federations and sports event
organisers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials ininternational competitions.
Wherever this was not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons, the IOC EB
strongly urged International Sports Federations and organisers of sports events worldwide to do
everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports official from Russia or Belarus beallowed to take part under the name of Russia or Belarus.
Russian or Belarusian nationals, be it as individuals or teams, should be accepted only as neutral
athletes or neutral teams.
The IOC confirmed that no national symbols, colours, flags or anthems should be displayed.
On the 11 March 2022, IOC President, Thomas Bach, in its “Give peace a chance message” statedthat “sports competitions or events should not take place in the territory of the Russian Federationor the Republic of Belarus. No national or state symbols of any kind of these countries should be
displayed at any event organised by the Olympic Movement”.16
Finally, he concluded by urging “ every sports organisation in the world to protect the integrity,
fairness and safety of their competitions by not allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to takepart or in special circumstances to at least prohibit any identification of their nationality”.17
Official Statements and Press Releases:
On 24 February 2022, the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)issued the following press release18:

16

Available on https://olympics.com/ioc/news/-give-peace-a-chance (last visited on 27 June 2022).
Ibidem.
18
Available on https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-strongly-condemns-the-breach-of-the-olympic-truce (last visited on
27 June 2022).
17

18

IOC strongly condemns the breach of the Olympic Truce
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) strongly condemns the breach of the Olympic Truce by the
Russian government. The respective UN resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 2
December 2021 by consensus of all 193 UN Member States. The Olympic Truce began seven days before thestart of the Olympic Games, on 4 February 2022, and ends seven days after the closing of the Paralympic
Games.
Today, IOC President Thomas Bach reiterates his call for peace, which he expressed in his speeches at theOpening Ceremony and the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games.
At the Opening Ceremony, he called on the political authorities: “Observe your commitment to this Olympic
Truce. Give peace a chance.”
At the Closing Ceremony, he asked the political leaders “to be inspired” by the “example of solidarity andpeace” set by the Olympic athletes.
Following recent events, the IOC is deeply concerned about the safety of the Olympic Community in
Ukraine. It has established a task force to closely monitor the situation and to coordinate humanitarianassistance to members of the Olympic Community in Ukraine where possible.

On 25 February 2022, the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)issued the following press release19:
IOC EB urges all International Federations to relocate or cancel their sports events currently
planned in Russia or Belarus
The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reiterated today theIOC’s strong condemnation of the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian government and thegovernment of Belarus through its support in this. The respective UN resolution was adopted by the
UN General Assembly on 2 December 2021 by consensus of all 193 UN Member States. The
Olympic Truce began seven days before the start of the Olympic Games, on 4 February 2022, andends seven days after the closing of the Paralympic Games.
The IOC EB today urges all International Sports Federations to relocate or cancel their sports
events currently planned in Russia or Belarus. They should take the breach of the Olympic Truce by
the Russian and Belarussian governments into account and give the safety and security of theathletes absolute priority. The IOC itself has no events planned in Russia or Belarus.
In addition, the IOC EB urges that no Russian or Belarussian national flag be displayed and no
Russian or Belarussian anthem be played in international sports events which are not already partof the respective World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sanctions for Russia.
At the same time, the IOC EB expresses its full support to the International Paralympic Committee(IPC) for the upcoming Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
The IOC EB expresses its deep concerns about the safety of the members of the Olympic Community
in Ukraine and stands in full solidarity. It notes that the special IOC task force is in contact with theOlympic Community in the country to coordinate humanitarian assistance where possible.
The IOC EB asks the task force to continue to closely monitor the situation and to keep the IOC EB
informed and updated, also with regard to potential amendments of today’s resolution.

19

Available on https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-urges-all-ifs-to-relocate-or-cancel-their-sports-events-currentlyplanned-in-russia-or-belarus (last visited on 27 June 2022).
19

On 28 February 2022, the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)issued the following press release20:
IOC EB recommends no participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials
The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) discussed again today thedilemma the Olympic Movement is currently facing after the breach of the Olympic Truce by the
Russian government and the government of Belarus through its support in this.
The Olympic Movement is united in its mission to contribute to peace through sport and to unite theworld in peaceful competition beyond all political disputes. The Olympic Games, the Paralympic
Games, World Championships and World Cups and many other sports events unite athletes ofcountries which are in confrontation and sometimes even war.
At the same time, the Olympic Movement is united in its sense of fairness not to punish athletes forthe decisions of their government if they are not actively participating in them. We are committed tofair competitions for everybody without any discrimination.
The current war in Ukraine, however, puts the Olympic Movement in a dilemma. While athletes
from Russia and Belarus would be able to continue to participate in sports events, many athletes
from Ukraine are prevented from doing so because of the attack on their country.
This is a dilemma which cannot be solved. The IOC EB has therefore today carefully considered thesituation and, with a heavy heart, issued the following resolution: In order to protect the integrity of
global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants, the IOC EB recommends that
International Sports Federations and sports event organisers not invite or allow the participation of
Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.
Wherever this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons, the IOC EB
strongly urges International Sports Federations and organisers of sports events worldwide to do
everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports official from Russia or Belarus beallowed to take part under the name of Russia or Belarus. Russian or Belarusian nationals, be it asindividuals or teams, should be accepted only as neutral athletes or neutral teams. No national
symbols, colours, flags or anthems should be displayed.
Wherever, in very extreme circumstances, even this is not possible on short notice fororganisational or legal reasons, the IOC EB leaves it to the relevant organisation to find its own
way to effectively address the dilemma described above.
In this context, the IOC EB considered in particular the upcoming Paralympic Winter Games
Beijing 2022 and reiterated its full support for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and
the Games.
The IOC EB maintains its urgent recommendation not to organise any sports event in Russia or
Belarus, issued on 25 February 2022.
The IOC EB has, based on the exceptional circumstances of the situation and considering theextremely grave violation of the Olympic Truce and other violations of the Olympic Charter by the
Russian government in the past, taken the ad hoc decision to withdraw the Olympic Order from all
20

Available on https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-recommends-no-participation-of-russian-and-belarusian-athletesand-officials (last visited on 27 June 2022).
20

persons who currently have an important function in the government of the Russian Federation orother government-related high-ranking position, including the following:
Mr Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation (Gold, 2001)
Mr Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation (Gold, 2014)
Mr Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office (Gold, 2014)
The IOC EB welcomes and appreciates the many calls for peace by athletes, sports officials andmembers of the worldwide Olympic Community. The IOC admires and supports in particular thecalls for peace by Russian athletes.
The IOC EB reaffirms its full solidarity with the Ukrainian Olympic Community. They are in ourhearts and thoughts. The IOC EB commits to continue and strengthen its efforts for humanitarianassistance. Therefore, the IOC EB has today established a solidarity fund. In this context, the IOC
expresses its gratitude to the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Sports
Federations that are already supporting Ukrainian athletes and their families.
The IOC EB, assisted by the IOC Task Force, continues to closely monitor the situation. It may
adapt its recommendations and measures according to future developments.
Today’s IOC statement builds on the IOC statements made on 24 February 2022 and 25 February
2022.
The IOC reaffirms the call of the IOC President: “Give peace a chance.”
On the 11 March 2022, IOC President, Thomas Bach, published the “Give peace a chancemessage”, which reads as follows21:“Give peace a chance…this was the appeal I made to the political leaders across the world in my
opening speech of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. In my closing speech I expressed thehope that these leaders would be inspired by the “example of solidarity and peace” having been set
by the athletes. Just four days later all our hopes for Ukraine were shattered. The horrifying images
and reports of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army shocked the world. Every day we are
more devastated by seeing so much human suffering, anxiety, desperation and destruction. In themeantime, millions of Ukrainians, most of them women and children had to flee from the brutal actsof war to other countries. Our hearts, our feelings, our emotions go out to all these innocent
victims. The world community reacted in an unprecedented way to what is widely considered aturning point in world history. The UN General Assembly deplored the aggression by the RussianFederation in the strongest terms with a most exceptional majority. Only three other countries
voted with Russia and Belarus against this resolution. Acts of solidarity by millions of people andsanctions by governments across the world followed.
The Olympic Movement immediately strongly condemned the breach of the Olympic Truce by the
Russian government, urged the relocation of all sports events planned in Russia or Belarus, andcalled for no national symbols of any kind of these countries being displayed at any sports events.
In doing so we were demonstrating our solidarity with the Ukrainian people. We were sharing theemotions with the people across the globe who, like us, are calling for peace. At the same time we
had to share the hard reality with all of them.
21

Available on https://olympics.com/ioc/news/-give-peace-a-chance (last visited on 27 June 2022).
21

On the one hand we have a heavy heart. On the other hand we have to keep a cool head to preserve
our Olympic values that have withstood the test of time. The invasion has changed the world. The
invasion has not changed our values. The invasion has strengthened our commitment to our valuesof peace, solidarity and non-discrimination in sport for whatever reason. What has changed,
however, are the ways to protect and promote them. This situation forces us – and gives us theopportunity – to clearly define the principles and values that constitute the Olympic Movement andguide us. The political consequences of this war and the respective political sanctions confront uswith the extremely difficult dilemma of not being able to fully apply these principles at all times.
Our guiding principle is peace. We were entrusted with this mission by our founder Pierre de
Coubertin. When he revived the Olympic Games and created the IOC in 1894, with the full supportof the International Peace Movement at the time, he said: “Should the institution of the Olympic
Games prosper, it can become a potent factor in securing universal peace.”
This means that sport, and in particular the Olympic Games, can be a powerful symbol of peace
and understanding. They can be an inspiration for how peaceful the world could be if we all respect
the same rules and each other. Everybody in the Olympic community wishes we could be more thana symbol and an inspiration. But we have had to learn once again the hard lessons that sportcannot create peace, and that decisions on war and peace are the exclusive remit of politics. To beat least a powerful symbol, to be an inspiring demonstration of a – maybe utopian – peaceful world,
to be a credible polar opposite of war, Olympic sport needs the participation of all the athletes who
accept the rules, even and in particular if their countries in the “real” world are in confrontation
or at war. A competition between athletes from only like-minded nations is not a credible symbol ofpeace, it is just another sports event. This is our role: to provide a counter-example to war anddivision - not to accept, follow and deepen divisions among people. We must be united in the
Olympic Movement; we must stand in solidarity together to achieve our unifying mission in all
circumstances.
These values, these principles and this mission have guided us in the past and will guide us in the
future, acknowledging the historic fundamental changes of the world brought about by the Russian
invasion and their unprecedented political consequences.
This means that we will continue to expose the people and organisations responsible for this war inbreach of the Olympic Truce. Therefore, sports competitions or events should not take place in the
territory of the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus. No national or state symbols of any
kind of these countries should be displayed at any event organised by the Olympic Movement. We
will not fall into the trap of the cheap argument that this would be a politicisation of sport, goingagainst the Olympic Charter which requires political neutrality. Whoever so blatantly violates the
Olympic Truce with political and even military means cannot denounce the consequences as being
politically motivated.
This clear exposure of the Russian government and its members as being responsible also
recognises that this war has not been started by the Russian people, Russian athletes or Russian
sports organisations. But we are facing an insoluble dilemma in this respect because we have at thesame time the great responsibility to ensure the integrity, fairness and safety of our competitions.
Under these unique circumstances we cannot fully uphold this responsibility, we cannot ensure theintegrity of the competitions. With the recommendation of the IOC Executive Board, we havebrought clarity to our stakeholders, avoided divisions and helped them to maintain unity. Without
this, we would have to face the situation where Russian or Belarusian athletes would be competingfor titles, while Ukrainian athletes could not, because of the war in their country. Without this, wewould have had to experience the politicisation of sports competitions by athletes or teams, some of22

them being encouraged by third parties. We also had to consider the safety risks for Russian andBelarusian athletes taking part in international competitions, because of deep anti-Russian andanti-Belarusian feelings following the invasion.
For all these reasons we urge every sports organisation in the world to protect the integrity,
fairness and safety of their competitions by not allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to takepart or in special circumstances to at least prohibit any identification of their nationality. This
protective approach is also shared by International Sports Federations chaired by Russian
nationals. In this context, we will continue to monitor the attitude of Russian or Belarusian athletes
and their sports organisations concerning their commitment to peace as enshrined in the Olympic
Charter. In doing so we will have to take the situation within Russia into account where, by law, an
engagement for peace has been put under the sanction of imprisonment for up to 15 years.
It goes without saying that we will continue our close consultations with all the stakeholders of the
Olympic Movement. I would very much like to encourage you also to take the initiative to contact
the IOC with regard to any question or comment you may have.
At the same time, we will strengthen our solidarity efforts with the Ukrainian Olympic Community.
Many of them are living in Ukraine under unbearable conditions, many of them have had to flee.
We are overwhelmed by the show of solidarity from the entire Olympic Movement. To make thisassistance as efficient as possible we have not only established a solidarity fund, we have also
called on our IOC Member Sergii Bubka in his capacity as President of the NOC of Ukraine, tolead our efforts. His working group has already provided assistance to many of our Ukrainian
Olympic friends through the 25 regional offices of the NOC and other NOC institutions. They are incontact with a number of NOCs whose countries have already accepted more than two million
refugees, and are offering their help in the Olympic spirit at its best. In this same spirit, we do notforget the other Olympic communities affected by war, warlike situations or acts of aggression. We
continue to assist them, like in Ukraine, through their respective NOC.
The war in Ukraine is so unique because of the global response to it and the far-reachingconsequences for the world, making it a turning point in world history. This also creates uniquechallenges for our Olympic Movement. We sincerely hope that these challenges can be overcome assoon as possible and peace can be restored. It does not make us forget the victims of the other too
many wars in our fragile world. In solidarity with all of them please join me by appealing, bypleading, by calling on all the political leaders around the globe: “Give peace a chance”
On the 20 May 2022, on the final day of the 139th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session,
IOC President Thomas Bach addressed the IOC membership on the impact of the Russian invasionof Ukraine on the world of sport and the Ukrainian Olympic community:22
Our Olympic mission is a humanitarian mission
He elaborated on the IOC’s actions since the outbreak of war, which have included both protective
measures for the integrity of competitions and sanctions against those responsible for the war. He
also spoke of the dilemma the entire Olympic Movement has been facing, since it cannot fully live
up to its mission to unite the entire world in peaceful competition. He concluded this part of the
speech by stating:

22‘IOC President Thomas Bach: “Our Olympic mission is a humanitarian mission’, 20 May 2022,
https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-president-thomas-bach-our-olympic-mission-is-a-humanitarian-mission,(last
accessed 20 June 2022).
23

“Our Olympic mission is not a political mission. Our Olympic mission is a humanitarian mission.”
As part of the opening speech, President Bach passed the floor to Sergii Bubka, IOC Member andPresident of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine, to provide an update on the
Olympic community’s support for the humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
“At the end of February, the IOC EB [Executive Board] decided to establish a solidarity fund tohelp the Olympic community in Ukraine,” he recalled. “Thanks to the help of all of you, themembers of the global Olympic community, the fund has now grown to about USD 2.4 million.
“Today there are approximately 3,000 Ukrainian athletes and coaches who stay in different partsof the world, who we continue to support. Through the Olympic solidarity fund, we already support
financially 65 individual projects. We are thankful to the IOC and the global Olympic community,”
he concluded.
President Bach went on to reflect on the overwhelming response from across the globe to thehosting of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 in
unprecedented circumstances. He said:“Be it from Heads of State, business and cultural leaders, scientists, our Rights-Holding
Broadcasters and TOP Partners, from youngsters and kids – we received and still are receiving
countless letters and messages saying: thank you for pulling it off.
“This worldwide reaction,” he continued, “has given us confidence to look to the future of the
Olympic Movement.” The President highlighted just some examples of the achievements of the
Olympic Agenda 2020+5 recommendations, building on the foundations of Olympic Agenda 2020.
He said: “We can look to the future from a position of strength, which was never a foregone
conclusion in our uncertain times.”

The full Speech of the IOC President is reported here below23:“Dear colleagues and friends, We began our 139th IOC Session in Beijing this past February. It
was not so long ago, but how much our world has changed since then.
We will dedicate, as planned, a significant portion of today’s schedule to Olympic Agenda 2020+5
and the long-term outlook for our Olympic Movement. But unfortunately I have to begin by giving
some perspective on our actions regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Give Peace a Chance” – this was my appeal to the political leaders across the world in my
opening and closing speeches in Beijing. As it turned out, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022
were but a fleeting moment of hope that peace and the Olympic Truce would prevail.
Unfortunately we could only appeal, because our relationship with the Russian political leadershiphas dramatically deteriorated over the past years. It deteriorated following the doping scandal,
cyber attacks and even personal threats to individuals from the IOC and Olympic Movement.

23

Available
alsoon
https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/International-Olympic-Committee/
Sessions/139th-Session/IOC-Session-May-2022-speech.pdf?_ga=2.56582571.1286695995.1656326613-1571789829.
1656326613 (last visited on 27 June 2022).
24

Since the appeal fell on deaf ears, the IOC and the Olympic Movement took immediate actions after
Russia, supported by Belarus, started this war. The position of the Olympic Movement on the war isoutlined in my “Give Peace a Chance” message which has been widely shared and appreciated bygovernments and organisations worldwide.
The Olympic Movement strongly supported the message, by widely following the recommendations
and by confirming their support again, only last week when we had 2 consultation calls withrepresentatives from the National Olympic Committees, the International Federations and theathletes. For all this support, I would like to reiterate our deep gratitude to all our stakeholders.
Our actions are two-fold: sanctions on the one hand and protective measures on the other.
We condemned the blatant violation of the Olympic Truce on the day of the invasion. We sanctioned
the Russian and Belarusian states and governments that are responsible for this war. We did so byrecommending that no international sporting events be held in Russia and Belarus; by not allowing
national symbols to be displayed; and even for the first time in our history by withdrawing Olympic
Orders that had been awarded to the President and the Deputy Prime Minister of the RussianFederation. At the same time, we also had to take protective measures to ensure the integrity ofinternational competitions. For this we had to recommend not to allow Russian and Belarusianathletes and officials to take part in international competitions, or to at least prohibit any
identification of their nationality.
Let me emphasise again that these are protective measures – not sanctions – measures to protect
the integrity of competitions. The safety of the Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials could
not be guaranteed because of the deep anti-Russian and antiBelarusian feelings in so many
countries following the invasion.
We had to move quickly because it was evident that governments wanted to decide who can takepart in which international competitions. This is true not only for governments of host countries ofsuch competitions. There are governments who prohibit athletes from their country to take part inany competition with Russian or Belarusian athletes. There are governments who are threatening towithdraw funding from any athlete who 3 would participate in such a competition. There aregovernments who are putting public and political pressure on National Olympic Committees andnational sports federations. We had to and continue to have to consider this situation from the end.
Today it is Russia and Belarus, but if we do not act, tomorrow it will be the government fromcountry A not wanting athletes from country B to participate. Or government C demanding its
athletes not to compete against athletes from country D and so on and so forth.
This would be a situation that is contrary to all the principles we are based on. If it is in the handsof politicians to decide who can take part in which competition, then the nondiscriminatory
foundation of our global sports system is gone. This would be the full politicisation of sport. This
would mean that sport and the athletes would become just a tool of the political sanctions system.
This was and this is our dilemma. Because of this dilemma, we had to take these protective
measures - albeit with a very heavy heart. Following our sanctions and protective measures, we
received questions from two angles.
The first question was: why did we react to this war in a different way than to the many other wars
around the world? There are two answers to this.
The first is: the war in Ukraine is different because it is a blatant violation of the Olympic Truce.
The second is: the far-reaching political, social and economic consequences of the war make it aturning point in world history.
25

The second question was: why are our sanctions limited to the government and national symbols
and not extended to all members of the Russian Olympic community?
The answer is: according to international rule of law, sanctions can and should only be imposed on
those who are responsible for something. This war has not been started by the Russian people, theRussian athletes, the Russian Olympic Committee or the IOC Members in Russia.
Imagine where the precedent of such a breach of the rule of law by us would lead to. Every
individual, every athlete, every sports official, every sports organisation would have to be punished
for any illegitimate political action of their governments.
There is no justice if you paint everyone with the same brush. This would even be counterproductive
because it would play into the propaganda of those who are claiming that sanctions are just a partof a wider conspiracy directed against their country.
By the way, our approach is in line with the governments who are also bound by this rule of law
when it comes to their sanctioning measures. Also they cannot sanction individuals only because of
the passport they hold. Therefore, we are monitoring closely who is supporting this war with theirstatements or actions and have drawn and will draw the necessary consequences.
This has been demonstrated for example by FINA and FIG, who have sanctioned athletes that haveexpressed such support for the war. In judging this, we also have to realise that there is a Russian
law threatening anyone who speaks out against the war with up to 15 years in prison. Therefore, we
can appreciate that, under such circumstances, silence in itself can be a message. Our guiding
principle is peace.
The Olympic Games, which unite the entire world in peaceful competition, are a powerful symbol ofpeace. But in order to unite the entire world, Olympic sport needs the participation of all theathletes who accept the rules, even and especially if their countries are in confrontation or at war.
A competition between athletes from only like-minded nations is not a credible symbol of peace.
And it is certainly not in line with our mission.
As already our founder, Pierre de Coubertin, said, and I quote: “In truth, the entire work of the
Olympic Games is based on concord – it means erasing the memories of old battles or preventing
new ones.” End of quote. While our actions brought clarity to all stakeholders of the Olympic
Movement and helped us to maintain our unity, they also highlight the dilemma that we are facing:at this moment in time, we cannot fully live up to our mission to unite the entire world in peacefulcompetition. Therefore we need to be prepared for the day when peace will prevail – hopefully
soon. There will come a time when the world will need to rebuild bridges.
When that moment comes, then we in the Olympic Movement need to be ready to overcome ourcurrent dilemma and unite the entire world again in peaceful competition. Our Olympic mission is
not a political mission.
Our Olympic mission is a humanitarian mission. Because of this humanitarian mission, we are ofcourse painfully aware of all the too many wars and conflicts in the world. In our Olympic
community we are all equal and this is why everyone affected by war deserves our attention and our
support.

26

This is exactly what we are doing through our Olympic Refuge Foundation and through supporting
all members of our Olympic community who are suffering from war and conflict. Take Afghanistan
as an example. There, too, we had to act quickly following the humanitarian crisis that unfolded
after the change of political power. Thanks to a true demonstration of solidarity, we have managedwith the active support of many NOCs and IFs to get around 300 members of the Olympic
community in Afghanistan to safety.
Together with the UNHCR, we also supported around 2,000 members of the Afghan Olympic
community who are remaining in the country with a special winter relief fund to get through theharsh winter. This humanitarian mission also applies to the members of the Ukrainian Olympic
community.
Just as in Afghanistan, our humanitarian assistance for Ukraine goes beyond financial aid. We
have been overwhelmed with an outpouring of solidarity. I would like to thank everyone in our
Olympic community who is so generously contributing to our solidarity efforts. Going beyond
purely financial support, we are also offering logistical support.
We are ensuring that Ukrainian athletes can continue to take part in competitions. We areproviding travel support, training facilities, accommodation, equipment and uniforms. We willcontinue to support Ukrainian and Afghan athletes in the same way we support other members of
the global Olympic community who are affected by war and conflict.
At the end of the day, all our actions will be judged by the suffering members of the Olympic
communities concerned. In this case, the Ukrainian Olympic community. There is nobody better toexplain this than our dear colleague and friend Sergii Bubka, President of the NOC of Ukraine,
who is leading the coordination of all our humanitarian efforts for Ukraine.
This is why I would like to now hand over to Mr. Sergii Bubka. [Sergii Bubka] Thank you verymuch Sergii and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for what you are doing to coordinate all
our efforts. It is hard to imagine what this means for you, to work day in day out, under such
stressful conditions and in a stressful environment. You are with all your feelings and emotions,with all your heart, you are with your compatriots in Ukraine. And still you have to concentrate on
your work to see how we can all together help them in the best way. There you are showing great
quality and we are with you”.

27THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

Overview:
The European Olympic Committees (EOC), whose Executive Committee (ExCo) endorsed the IOC
position condemning the breach of the Olympic Truce.
The EOC called all its Members to stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian Olympic Community.
Russian and Belarus athletes and officials will no longer participate in the forthcoming 2022
Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) to be held in Vuokatti, Finland, from 20-25
March
Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 25 February 2022, the European Olympic Committee (EOC) issued the following press
release24:
EOC STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINEThe European Olympic Committees (EOC), whose Executive Committee (ExCo) met virtually today
in an extraordinary session, reiterates its endorsement of the communique put forth by theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board condemning the breach of the Olympic
Truce. The EOC strongly supports President Bach’s call for peace and expresses its full support to
the Olympic Community in Ukraine.
As already shown by the Baltic National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the EOC calls all its
Members to stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian Olympic Community.
Many NOCs from the neighbouring countries have already expressed their full assistance andfriendship, and the EOC would like to warmly thank them for this valuable sign of solidarity andkindness.
In partnership with the IOC, the EOC will continue to monitor this deeply concerning situation andis ready to cooperate and provide humanitarian assistance where possible.
On 2 March 2022, the European Olympic Committee (EOC) issued the following press release25:
RUSSIA/BELARUS ATHLETES AND OFFICIALS WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN EYOF
VUOKATTI 2022
The Executive Committee (ExCo) of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) met again yesterday
to discuss the worsening situation and humanitarian crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
last week.

24

Available on https://www.eurolympic.org/eoc-statement-in-support-of-ukraine/ (last visited on 27 June 2022).
Available on https://www.eurolympic.org/russia-belarus-athletes-and-officials-will-not-participate-in-eyof-vuokatti2022/.
25

28

The EOC stands in solidarity with Ukraine and fully supports the statement and all recommended
actions issued by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday. Therefore, after
consultation with Vuokatti 2022 Organising Committee and all relevant stakeholders, and noting
the decisions taken by the participating International Federations, the EOC has reached thefollowing decision:
Russian and Belarus athletes and officials will no longer participate in the forthcoming 2022
Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) to be held in Vuokatti, Finland, from 20-25
March.
The EOC recognises that the IOC statement did make exceptional provisions for organisers ofevents due to take place at very short notice. However, in order to safeguard the well-being of suchyoung athletes, as well as protect the integrity of the event, the EOC believes Russian andBelarusian athletes should not compete in Vuokatti in any capacity.
The EOC takes this decision with reluctance due to the exceptional young age of the affected
athletes. However, as the IOC stated, “This is a dilemma which cannot be solved”.
The EOC continues to monitor the war in Ukraine on an hourly basis and will give further updates
in due course on the unified approach of European National Olympic Committees in support of theathletes and people of Ukraine.
On 4 March 2022, the European Olympic Committee (EOC) issued the following press release26:
EOC STATEMENT ON EUROPEAN ATHLETES MEETING IN BRUSSELSThe European Olympic Committees (EOC) Executive Committee (ExCo) has taken the decision to
postpone the European Athletes Conference in Brussels, which was set to take place on 9 March
2022.
The decision follows consultation with the EOC Athletes Commission, the International Olympic
Committee (IOC), the European Commission, and the EOC EU Office. The humanitarian crisis
following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week has resulted in the European sports movement’s
urgent focus being on supporting the Ukrainian Olympic Community. Therefore, it would not havebeen appropriate or productive to host a wide-ranging meeting on matters affecting European
athletes next week. Additionally, the war in Ukraine would have prevented the safe travel toBrussels for a number of participants.
The EOC will communicate updated information on the new dates for this important meeting ofEuropean athletes in due course. For now, the EOC is continuing to work with European National
Olympic Committees and international stakeholders to support those affected by the ongoing
conflict.
On 21 March 2022, the European Olympic Committee (EOC) issued the following press release27:
EOC EXTENDS DECISION REGARDING RUSSIA AND BELARUS
26

Available on https://www.eurolympic.org/eoc-statement-on-european-athletes-meeting-in-brussels/ (last visited on
27 June 2022).
27
Available on https://www.eurolympic.org/russia-belarus-athletes-and-officials-will-not-participate-in-eyof-vuokatti2022/ (last visited on 27 June 2022).
29

In alignment with the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 28th
February 2022 and consistent with the decision taken by the EOC ExCo on 2nd March 2022 inrelation to the EYOF Vuokatti 2022, the EOC ExCo extended the non-participation of Russian andBelarusian athletes and officials in the Summer EYOF scheduled in Banska Bystrica in July 2022.
The decision was taken in consultation with the Organising Committee of the EYOF Banska
Bystrica 2022.
Within this framework, and so as to protect the integrity of the EOC’s activities in the current
exceptional context, the EOC ExCo has also decided that Russian and Belarusian individuals who
hold an EOC ExCo or Commission position will temporarily not be invited to attend ExCo andCommissions’ meetings.
On 26 April 2022, the European Olympic Committee (EOC) issued the following press release28:
EOC EXPRESSES GRATITUDE TO EUROPEAN NOCS FOR
THEIR SUPPORT OF UKRAINEThe EOC extends its heartfelt thanks to the European National Olympic Committees (ENOCs),
following their concerted effort to provide support and show solidarity with the Ukrainian Olympic
community.
The EOC family first showcased its firm commitment to helping Ukrainian athletes when it came
together to ensure a team of 25 young stars were able to compete at the Winter European Youth
Olympic Festival (EYOF) Vuokatti 2022. The Finnish Olympic Committee in particular played a
key role in making this possible, supplying training equipment and providing logistical support.
Since then, there have been numerous examples of the ENOCs going above and beyond to help theirfriends from Ukraine. National Olympic Committee of Ukraine President and IOC Member Sergey
Bubka, who has been coordinating the IOC’s humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian Olympic
community, has expressed his sincere gratitude to ENOCs for their support.
Mr Bubka recently met with Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) President and IOC Member
Giovanni Malagò in Rome, thanking him for CONI’s role in ensuring over 500 Ukrainian athletes
from 20 sports could train in Italy by covering all expenses for an indefinite period of time. The
Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee has also demonstrated strong solidarity with Ukraine,
welcoming more than 400 athletes to the country that will host the 2022 Summer EYOF.
Amongst multiple other examples, the Swiss Olympic Association is working alongside several of
the country’s National Federations to help guide Ukrainian athletes from their arrival in
Switzerland right through to the start of a regular training programme. Meanwhile, the Slovenian
NOC has introduced a range of initiatives, including preparing a project to include refugee
children in programmes at local sports clubs.
On 24 – 25 April, German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) President Thomas Weikert and
DOSB Executive Board visited the IOC in Lausanne and had the chance to meet with Sergii Bubka
to discuss the NOC ongoing support to Ukrainian Olympic Community. There are currently around
160 Ukrainian athletes staying and training at Olympic training centres in Germany as well as anadditional hundred Ukrainian athletes who have found a temporary home in some of Germany’s
sport clubs and federations. A support fund was also set up and currently amounts around to28

Available on https://www.eurolympic.org/eoc-expresses-gratitude-to-european-nocs-for-their-support-of-ukraine/(last visited on 27 June 2022).
30

250.000€ – sport clubs and federations can request money from this fund for projects that support
Ukrainian athletes (e.g. to buy training equipment or to pay coaching fees).
EOC President Spyros Capralos said, “From the bottom of my heart I want thank National
Olympic Committees from all across Europe. The manner in which they have responded to the war
in Ukraine is a true embodiment of the Olympic values. Sport plays such an integral role in society
and it is vital that we continue supporting the Ukrainian Olympic community throughout, andbeyond, this crisis.
“My message to all ENOCs is to please keep doing what you are doing. Sport is a key source oflight during these dark times, and as our good friend Sergey Bubka has said on many occasions –athletes can inspire others by showing the resilience of the Ukrainian people, whilst sending amessage of solidarity and peace.”31

INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE

Overview
On 2 March 2022, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) decided that The RPC and NPC
Belarus will participate as neutrals at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. They willcompete under the Paralympic flag and not be included in the medal table.
Furthermore, the IPC also decided not hold any events in Russia or Belarus until further notice”.
The day after, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board decided to refuse theathlete entries from the RPC and NPC Belarus for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.
Official Statements and Media releases
On 2 March 2022, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) issued the following press
release29:

IPC makes decisions regarding RPC and NPC Belarus“The RPC and NPC Belarus will participate as neutrals at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic WinterGames. They will compete under the Paralympic flag and not be included in the medal table.
IPC to host extraordinary General Assembly in 2022 to vote on whether to make compliance with
the Olympic Truce a membership requirement and whether to suspend or terminate the membershipof the Russian Paralympic Committee and Belarus Paralympic Committee.
IPC will not hold any events in Russia or Belarus until further notice”
On 3 March 2022, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) issued the following press
release30:

IPC to decline athlete entries from RPC and NPC Belarus for Beijing 2022
Following a specially convened meeting, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing
Board has decided to refuse the athlete entries from the RPC and NPC Belarus for the Beijing 2022
Paralympic Winter Games.
This means that Para athletes from these respective countries will no longer be allowed toparticipate in the Games which open on 4 March 2022.
Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: “At the IPC we are very firm believers that sport and politics
should not mix. However, by no fault of its own the war has now come to these Games and behindthe scenes many Governments are having an influence on our cherished event.

29

Availableon
https://www.paralympic.org/press-release/ipc-makes-decisions-regarding-rpc-and-npc-belarus(last visited on 27 June 2022).
30
Availableon
https://www.paralympic.org/press-release/ipc-makes-decisions-regarding-rpc-and-npc-belarus(last visited on 27 June 2022).
32

“The IPC is a membership-based organisation, and we are receptive to the views of our member
organisations.
“When our members elected the Board in December 2021 it was to maintain and uphold theprinciples, values, and rules of the Paralympic Movement. As Board members that is a
responsibility and duty we take extremely seriously.
“In taking our decision yesterday we were looking at the long-term health and survival of the
Paralympic Movement. We are fiercely proud of the principles and values that have made theMovement what it is today.
“However, what is clear is that the rapidly escalating situation has now put us in a unique andimpossible position so close to the start of the Games.
“Yesterday we said we would continue to listen, and that is what we are doing.
“In the last 12 hours an overwhelming number of members have been in touch with us and beenvery open, for which I am grateful. They have told us that if we do not reconsider our decision, it is
now likely to have grave consequences for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. Multiple
NPCs, some of which have been contacted by their governments, teams and athletes, arethreatening not to compete.
“Ensuring the safety and security of athletes is of paramount importance to us and the situation in
the athlete villages is escalating and has now become untenable. First and foremost, we have a duty
as part of the Paralympic mission, enshrined in the constitution, to guarantee and supervise theorganisation of successful Paralympic Games, to ensure that in sport practiced within the
Paralympic Movement the spirit of fair play prevails, violence is banned, the health risk of theathletes is managed and fundamental ethical principles are upheld.
“With this in mind, and in order to preserve the integrity of these Games and the safety of allparticipants, we have decided to refuse the athlete entries from RPC and NPC Belarus.
“To the Para athletes from the impacted countries, we are very sorry that you are affected by thedecisions your governments took last week in breaching the Olympic Truce. You are victims ofyour governments’ actions.
“Athlete welfare is and always will be a key concern for us. As a result of today’s decision 83 Para
athletes are directly impacted by this decision. However, if RPC and NPC Belarus remain here in
Beijing then nations will likely withdraw. We will likely not have a viable Games. If this were tohappen, the impact would be far wider reaching.
“I hope and pray that we can get back to a situation when the talk and focus is fully on the power ofsport to transform the lives of persons with disabilities, and the best of humanity.”

33

APPEALS BEFORE CAS AGAINST THE IOC DECISION

Overview
Following the IOC Decision of 28 February 2022 and in line with its recommendations, themajority of the international and regional sports federations and organizations issued theirresolutions with respect to the sanctions and limitations to be imposed on the athletes and teams
originating from Russia and Belarus.
Some of these decisions have been appealed by the Russian sports federations either to the internal
judicial bodies of the relevant international sports federations or directly to the Court of Arbitrationfor Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.31
As reported by the colleague Anna, “considering the variety of the sanctions imposed in different
sports disciplines on the Russian athletes, the reaction of the Russian sports organizations, clubs
and athletes differed drastically depending on the severity of the measures and specifics of the
sports discipline. Many of the decisions issued by the international sports federations wereappealed by the Russian sports federations, clubs and individual athletes to the Court of Arbitrationfor Sport and the internal judicial bodies of the international sports federations”.
CAS gave information about ten arbitral proceedings initiated by the various Russian sports
organizations; one appeal had been withdrawn; one procedure suspended, and the rest werepending.
In the two arbitration proceedings initiated by the Football Union of Russia (FUR) against thedecisions of FIFA and UEFA to suspend all the FUR teams from participating in FIFA and UEFA
competitions until further notice, namely CAS 2022/A/8709 Football Union of Russia (FUR) v.
Union of European Football Associations et al. and CAS 2022/A/8708 Football Union of Russia(FUR) v. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) et al., the Football Union of
Russia sought interim relief, namely for CAS to “grant the suspensive effect to the Appeal and/or ifneeded, order [FIFA and UEFA] to take all necessary measures to reinstate immediately all
Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, for participation in[FIFA/UEFA] competitions, including, but without limitation, in the competitions (…)”
On 8 April 2022 by the President of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division issued two orders on
Requests for Provisional Measures in the afore-referenced proceedings where the applications forprovisional measures filed by the Football Union of Russia were rejected.32

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 18 March 2022 CAS published the following press release33:
THE COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) REJECTSTHE FOOTBALL UNION OF RUSSIA’S REQUEST TO STAY THE EXECUTION OF
31

For an overview of the main International Federations’ decisions and the appeals lodged against them before CAS
please see the report on Russia for this survey egregiously written by Anna Smirnova.
32
https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/8708_Reasoned_OPM__publication_.pdf and https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/8709_reasoned_OPM__publication_.pdf (last visited on 23 June 2022).
33
Available on https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Media_Release_8708_prov.measures.pdf.
34

THE FIFA COUNCIL’S DECISION TO SUSPEND ALL RUSSIAN TEAMS AND CLUBSFROM ITS COMPETITIONS
Lausanne, 18 March 2022 - The President of the Appeals Arbitration Division of the Court of
Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected the request filed by the Football Union of Russia (FUR) to
stay, for the duration of the CAS proceedings, the execution of the FIFA Council’s decision tosuspend all Russian teams and clubs from participation in its competitions until further notice (theChallenged decision).
Accordingly, the Challenged Decision remains in force and all Russian teams and clubs continue tobe suspended from participation in FIFA competitions.
The CAS arbitration proceedings continue. A Panel of arbitrators is currently being constituted andthe parties are exchanging written submissions. No hearing has been fixed yet.
On 5 April 2022, CAS issued the following press release34:
SUMMARY OF THE PROCEEDINGS PENDING BEFORE THE COURT OF
ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) RELATING TO APPEALS OF RUSSIAN
ATHLETES, FEDERATIONS AND TEAMS“Lausanne, 5 April 2022 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) provides the following summary of theproceedings pending before it relating to the appeals of Russian athletes, federations and teams:
CAS 2022/A/8708 Football Union of Russia (FUR) v. FIFA, UEFA, Polish Football Association, Swedish
Football Association, Czech Football Association, Football Association of Montenegro & Malta Football
Association:
On 18 March 2022, the President of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division rejected the FUR’s request to
stay, for the duration of the CAS proceedings, the execution of the FIFA Council’s decision to suspend all
Russian teams and clubs from participation in its competitions until further notice. The reasoned Order on
Request for Provisional Measures will be published on the CAS website later this week. The Panel ofarbitrators is currently being constituted. No procedural calendar has been established yet.
CAS 2022/A/8709 FUR v. UEFA, Hellenic Football Federation, Association Belarus Football, Danish
Football Association, Luxembourgish Football, Austrian Football Association, Malta Football
Association, Portuguese Football Federation, The Football Association, Spanish Football Association,
Irish Football Association, French Football Association:
On 18 March 2022, the President of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division rejected the FUR’s request to
stay, for the duration of the CAS proceedings, the execution of the UEFA Executive Committee’s decision tosuspend all Russian teams and clubs from its competitions until further notice. The reasoned Order on
Request for Provisional Measures will be published on the CAS website later this week. The Panel ofarbitrators is currently being constituted. No procedural calendar has been established yet.
CAS 2022/A/8717 FUR v. FIFA, Polish Football Association, Swedish Football Association, Czech
Football Association:
On 30 March 2022, the FUR informed the CAS Court Office that it withdrew its appeal. This procedure will
be terminated shortly.

34

Available on https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Media_Release_05.04.22_Russian_ appeals.pdf(last visited on 27 June 2022).
35

CAS 2022/A/8714 Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) v. European Olympic Committees (EOC):
The ROC filed an appeal against the decision taken on 2 March 2022 by the EOC Executive Committee not
to allow Russian and Belarus athletes and officials to participate in the 2022 Winter European Youth
Olympic Festival. The ROC seeks a ruling from CAS setting aside such decision and ordering that ROC
athletes and officials be entitled to take part in all competitions organised by the EOC, including the 2022
Winter European Youth Olympic Festival and the 2022 Summer European Youth Olympic Festival. On 18
March 2022, the President of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division rejected the ROC’s request to stay the
execution of the EOC Executive Committee’s decision. The Panel of arbitrators that will decide this matter isbeing constituted.
CAS 2022/A/8733 Russian Skating Union, Figure Skating Federation of Russia, Semen Elistratov,
Angelika Golikova, Evgenia Tarasova & Vladimir Morozov v. International Skating Union (ISU):The Russian Skating Union, the Figure Skating Federation of Russian and four Russian speed/figure skaters
filed an appeal against the decision issued by the ISU Council on 1 March 2022 in which it was announced
that with immediate effect and until further notice, no skaters belonging to the ISU members in Russia shallbe invited or allowed to participate in international ice-skating competitions such as ISU Championships
and other ISU events. The appellant-parties seek the annulment of the ISU Council’s decision. The Panel ofarbitrators that will decide this matter is being constituted.
CAS 2022/A/8734 Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) v. International Biathlon Union (IBU):
The RBU filed an appeal against the decision issued by the IBU Executive Board on 2 March 2022 in which
it decided not to allow the participation of any Russian or Belarusian athletes and officials at its
international events until further notice including non-sports events organised by the IBU for its members,
and noted that it would further discuss a potential suspension of the two national federations from their IBU
membership. At the request of the RBU, the CAS proceedings are currently suspended.
CAS 2022/A/8755 Russian Rowing Federation (RRF) v. World Rowing:
The RRF filed an appeal against the decision taken by the World Rowing Executive Commission not to allow
the participation of Russian athletes and officials in any of its international competitions, with immediate
effect and until further notice. The RRF seeks the annulment of such decision.
CAS 2022/A/8761 Rugby Union of Russia (RUR) v. World Rugby:
The RUR filed an appeal against the decision taken by the World Rugby Executive Committee to suspend
RUR membership in World Rugby and exclude the RUR teams from all international meetings at all levels.
The RUR seeks the annulment of such decision and the reinstatement of all Russian teams for participationin all World Rugby competitions.
CAS 2022/A/8778 Russian Gymnastics Federation, Angelina Melnikova, Nikita Nagornyy, Mikhail
Zalomin & Vitalii Ivanchuk v. International Gymnastics Federation (FIG):
The Russian Gymnastics Federation, three gymnasts and a gymnastics judge filed an appeal against thedecision taken by the FIG Executive Committee not to allow Russian athletes and officials, including judges,
to take part in FIG competitions or FIG-sanctioned competitions from 7 March 2022 until further notice.
The appellant-parties seek the annulment of the FIG Executive Committee’s decision.
CAS 2022/A/8777 Russian Gymnastics Federation, Angelina Melnikova, Nikita Nagornyy, Mikhail
Zalomin, Vitalii Ivanchuk & Irina Karavaeva v. European Gymnastics:
The Russian Gymnastics Federation, three gymnasts, a gymnastics judge and a technical official filed an
appeal against the decision taken by the Executive Committee of European Gymnastics not to allow athletes,
officials and judges from the Russian Gymnastics Federation to participate in any European Gymnastics
36

events until further notice. The appellant-parties seek the annulment of the European Gymnastics Executive
Committee’s decision and a ruling from CAS that Russian athletes, officials and judges be entitled to takepart in all European Gymnastics events under the same conditions as all athletes, officials and judges fromother countries”.

On 23 June 2022 CAS published the following press release35:
INTERNATIONAL WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION (IWF) ELECTIONSTHE COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) UPHOLDS THE APPEALS FILED
BY THE RUSSIAN WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION, MAXIM AGAPITOV, DMITRY
CHERNOGOROV AND ALEKSANDR KISHKIN“Lausanne, 23 June 2022 – “The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the appeals filedby the Russian Weightlifting Federation (RWF), Maxim Agapitov, Dmitry Chernogorov andAleksandr Kishkin (the Appellants) against the four decisions rendered on 23 May 2022 by the
Eligibility Determination Panel (EDP) of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) (theChallenged Decisions) by which the RWF was “prohibited from nominating any candidate forelection to the Executive Board, any IWF Commission and any IWF Committee for the IWF
elections to be held in June 2022” and, as a consequence, the three candidates Agapitov,
Chernogorov and Kishkin were declared ineligible for the same elections.
The Challenged Decisions have been set aside.
The CAS Panel in charge of the matters found that the IWF EDP did not have jurisdiction toprevent the RWF from nominating candidates for the elections. Indeed, such decision is of adisciplinary nature and, as provided by Article 13 of the IWF Constitution, it was not for the IWF
EDP to rule on the suspension of the RWF in the light of Article 13.12 of the IWF Constitution, but
only to determine the eligibility of the candidates in accordance with the IWF Constitution.
Therefore, the CAS Panel could only set aside the Challenged Decisions and state that the groundjustifying the ineligibility of the three candidates Agapitov, Chernogorov and Kishkin, proposed by
the RWF for election, no longer existed”.

35

Available on https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Media_Release_8915_et_al.pdf (last visited on
27 June 2022).
37

PART IIINTERNATIONAL SPORTS ASSOCIATIONSARCHERY
ATHLETICS
BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL
BASKETBALL
BIATHLONCANOEINGCHESS
CURLINGCYCLING
GYMNASTICSFOOTBALL
HOCKEYICE HOCKEY
JUDO
LUGE
PENTATHLONROWINGRUGBYSAILINGSKATINGSKIINGSURFING
SWIMMING
TAEKWONDOTENNISTENNIS TABLETRIATHLON
VOLLEYBALL

38

ARCHERY – WORLD ARCHERY

Overview
No Russian and Belarusian athletes, teams and officials or technical official from Russia or Belarus
are permitted to participate in any international archery event until further notice. This includes any
tournament that offers world ranking points, qualifying events, events run by major organisations,and any competition for which World Archery or World Archery Europe is the ruling body or
responsible for appointing technical officials. The term “technical official” includes judges andclassifiers.
Russia and Belarus also remain prohibited from bidding for or hosting international events.
Neither World Archery nor World Archery Europe had upcoming events scheduled in either
country.
Russian and Belarusian flags and anthems have been removed from all international tournaments.
No future events will be awarded to either country.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 26 February 2002 the World Archery issued the following press release36:
Executive board sanctions Russian and Belarusian flags and anthems“World Archery’s executive board has voted to remove the Russian and Belarusian national flags andanthems from all international tournaments in condemnation of the breaking of the Olympic truce and thecurrent crisis in Ukraine.
The sport currently has no events planned in and no future events will be awarded to either country.
Executive board member Vladimir Esheev, who is also the president of Russia’s national archery federation,
was not invited to the discussion or vote.
The World Archery Para Championships are currently taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
There is a delegation of independent athletes competing at the event under the flag of the Russian Archery
Federation, an arrangement in place due to ongoing clean sport sanctions (implementing a decision made by
the Court of Arbitration for Sport).
World Archery is actively supporting the team participating from Ukraine.
The organisers of the championships have contributed additional accommodation in Dubai as the situation
develops, while travel and safe shelter is being arranged with the National Paralympic Committee of
Ukraine and supportive neighbouring archery federations.
World Archery will continue to provide humanitarian support to members of the archery community affectedby this crisis wherever possible”.

36

Also available at https://worldarchery.sport/news/200624/executive-board-sanctions-russian-and-belarusian-flagsand-anthems (last visited on 23 June 2022).
39

On 28 February 2002 the World Archery Europe issued its own press release37:
IOC EB recommends no participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials
By sharing the last IOC statement, World Archery Europe wants to reiterate IOC President Thomas Bach’s
call for peace: “Give peace a chance” while condemning the military attack on Ukraine.
World Archery Europe supports the IOC statement and will not allow the participation of Russian andBelarusian athletes and officials in the European competitions.
On 2 March 2022 the World Archery issued a second press release widening the scope of measuresagainst Russia and Belarus38:
Russia and Belarus prohibited from participating in international events
World Archery’s executive board has approved a further round of sanctions on Russia and Belarus, which
comply with the latest recommendations from the International Olympic Committee, in response to the crisisin Ukraine.
These new sanctions are in addition to the previous statement and initial sanctions, which were announced
following Russia’s breaking of the Olympic Truce.
As of 2 March 2022, no athlete, team official or technical official from Russia or Belarus will be permitted toparticipate in any international archery event until further notice.
This includes any tournament that offers world ranking points, qualifying events, events run by majororganisations, and any competition for which World Archery or World Archery Europe is the ruling body or
responsible for appointing technical officials.
The term technical official includes judges and classifiers.
Russia and Belarus also remain prohibited from bidding for or hosting international events. Neither World
Archery nor World Archery Europe had upcoming events scheduled in either country.
In compliance with the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee, which hosted a meeting of
the presidents of all international sports federations on Tuesday, neither the archery federations of Russia
and Belarus nor elected officers from either country will be suspended as they are not directly implicated in
the breaking of the Olympic Truce.
World Archery has issued the following statement alongside the sanctions:“World Archery reiterates its position that there is no place in this world for war or violence. Sport is acelebration of peace, friendship and the Olympic values.”“World Archery has no desire to penalise any athlete or official who shares these values but must prioritise
the integrity of competition, and the fairness in access to competition, as part of sport’s united response to
the current crisis in Ukraine.”

37

Also available at https://www.archeryeurope.org/news/ioc-statement-about-russian-and-bielorussian-athletes/(last visited on 23 June 2022).
38
Also available at https://worldarchery.sport/news/200632/russia-and-belarus-prohibited-participating-internationalevents#:~:text=Russia%20and%20Belarus%20prohibited%20from%20participating%20in%20international%20events,-2%20March%202022&text=World%20Archery's%20executive%20board%20has,to%20the%20crisis%20in%20
Ukraine (last visited on 23 June 2022).
40

“World Archery hopes that the unified calls for peace, from people of all nationalities, will quickly bring thiscrisis to an end.”
Further decisions will be taken by the World Archery executive board as and when they become necessary.
World Archery will work with the International Olympic Committee, Ukrainian Olympic Committee andUkrainian Archery Federation to support athletes, and continue to provide humanitarian aid to the membersof the community affected by the crisis where possible.

41

ATHLETICS – WORLD ATHLETICS

Overview:
Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from competing in World Athletics Series
events.
It is worth mentioning that the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) has been already suspended
from World Athletics since 2015, due to doping violations, and therefore is not currently eligible tohost World Athletics events or send teams to international championships.
The so-called Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) process remains in place but Russian athletes who
have received ANA status for 2022 are excluded from World Athletics Series events for theforeseeable future.
With particular regard to the Belarus Athletic Federation, they are excluded from hosting of any
international or European athletics events, they have no representation at Congress or in decisions
which require Congressional votes; they have no accreditation to attend any World Athletics Series
events, and finally the Federation personnel cannot been involved in any official World Athletics
development or professional programmes.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that World Athletics has not only sanctioned the Russian andBelarus Federations but they have also established a special Fund to support Athletes affected by
the War.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 1 March 2022 the World Athletics Council issued the following press release39:

World Athletics Council sanctions Russia and Belarus“The World Athletics Council has today agreed to impose sanctions against the Member Federations of
Russia and Belarus as a consequence of the invasion of Ukraine.
All athletes, support personnel and officials from Russia and Belarus will be excluded from all World
Athletics Series events for the foreseeable future, with immediate effect.
Upcoming events include the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, the World Athletics Indoor
Championships Belgrade 22, and the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Muscat 22, which
begin on Friday in Oman (4 March).
The Council also agreed to consider further measures, including the suspension of the Belarus Federation,
at its scheduled Council meeting next week (9-10 March).

39

Also available on https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/world-athletics-council-sanctions-russia-and-belarus(last visited on 23 June 2022).
42

The Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) has been suspended from World Athletics since 2015, due todoping violations, and therefore is not currently eligible to host World Athletics events or send teams tointernational championships.
The Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) process remains in place but Russian athletes who have received ANA
status for 2022 are excluded from World Athletics Series events for the foreseeable future.
This means that all Russian ANA or Belarusian athletes currently accredited for the World Athletics Race
Walking Team Championships Muscat 22 and the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 (1820 March) will have their accreditation withdrawn and entries denied, as will any support personnel andofficials.
In an address to the Council, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “The world is horrified by what
Russia has done, aided and abetted by Belarus. World leaders sought to avoid this invasion throughdiplomatic means but to no avail given Russia’s unswerving intention to invade Ukraine. The unprecedented
sanctions that are being imposed on Russia and Belarus by countries and industries all over the world
appear to be the only peaceful way to disrupt and disable Russia’s current intentions and restore peace.
“Anyone who knows me will understand that imposing sanctions on athletes because of the actions of theirgovernment goes against the grain. I have railed against the practice of politicians targeting athletes andsport to make political points when other sectors continue about their business. This is different as
governments, business and other international organisations have imposed sanctions and measures against
Russia across all sectors. Sport has to step up and join these efforts to end this war and restore peace. We
cannot and should not sit this one out.”
World Athletics Athletes’ Commission chairs Renaud Lavillenie and Dame Valerie Adams welcomed thedecision.
“We stand in solidarity with our fellow athletes, competitors, and friends from Ukraine who are facing far
greater challenges than just disruptions to their training and competition, but are in fear of their lives andthe lives of their loved ones,” Lavillenie said.
“While we understand the implications of this decision for Authorised Neutral Athletes from Russia andBelarusian athletes, who may not be condoning their nations’ deplorable military action in Ukraine, wecannot ignore the message that inclusion of these two nations’ athletes would send to our friends in Ukraine
and the rest of the world.”
In accordance with World Athletics rules, the Member Federations from Russia and Belarus have been
informed of the Council’s decisions and have the right to respond. If necessary, the Council will reconvene
to consider that response”.

Sanctions applied to the Belarus Federation
On 10 March 2022, World Athletics Council agreed to “apply sanctions on the Belarus Athletic Federation
while Russia’s war on Ukraine, aided and abetted by Belarus, continues:40
The sanctions included:●●

No hosting of any international or European athletics events, which includes World Athletics Series,
one-day meetings and other international competitions;
No representation at Congress or in decisions which require Congressional votes;

40

Available on https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/world-athletics-council-sanctions-russia-and-belarus(last visited on 23 June 2022).
43

●
●
●

No accreditation to attend any World Athletics Series events, including the World Athletics Indoor
Championships Belgrade 22 and the World Athletics Championships Oregon22;
No involvement of Federation personnel in any official World Athletics development or professional
programmes.
These sanctions will take immediate effect and continue for the foreseeable future.

Our one-day meetings and tours are discussing the exclusion of Russian Authorised Neutral Athletes (ANA)
and Belarusian athletes from their meetings ahead of their events beginning in the next couple of months.
World Athletics is confident that these meetings will adopt the same approach that the World Athletics
Council has taken.”
World Athletics had established a Russian Task force “The Council approved three recommendations fromthe Russia Taskforce in regard to the Russian reinstatement process. Taskforce chairman Rune Andersen
acknowledged that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had “cast a shadow” over the whole of Russia, including
sport. But the Taskforce recommended that the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) reinstatement process
should continue, to avoid the “very real risk” that RusAF would revert to past doping practices if theprocess was suspended now.”“Such a loss and backsliding would undermine that cultural change that RusAF has been cultivating andultimately be detrimental to the interests of clean Russian athletes, the athletes in other countries with whomthey compete, and therefore the integrity of future international competitions,” Andersen’s report explains.
Andersen told the Council that RusAF had made significant progress in many areas described in theroadmap, but that it was not yet fit for reinstatement.
Concerns remained around the leadership of RUSADA, Russia’s national anti-doping agency, and the factthat RusAF had not yet paid the reinstatement costs incurred by World Athletics for the third and fourth
quarters of 2021.
Andersen warned that if payment was not made as a matter of urgency, this would be regarded as a breachof the reinstatement conditions and would lead to action against RusAF, which could include a suspension of
the reinstatement process.
He further acknowledged that restricted travel, due to the invasion, would create challenges for theTaskforce in its oversight and monitoring role, which could lead to changes in the way it operates.
The Council accepted the following recommendations from the Taskforce:
1. The Taskforce continues its oversight and monitoring of RusAF’s implementation of the Reinstatement
Plan and KPIs, guided to the extent possible in current circumstances by the international experts. The
Taskforce shall report on its work to Council at its next meeting in July 2022 or, if required, earlier.
2. The Taskforce meet with RusAF to discuss progress against the Reinstatement Plan based on the KPIs, toassess and, if necessary, update the Reinstatement Plan and the KPIs, and possibly discuss and/or agree a
specific timeline for consideration of reinstatement.
3. The Taskforce review the Post-Reinstatement Conditions41 including the RusAF’s feedback on them andpresent them to the Council at its next meeting in July 2022 for approval and/or discussion, as the Taskforce
deems appropriate at that time.

41

Availableon
https://www.worldathletics.org/download/download?filename=0ae8e01d-2b08-4542-90906f5fe2260fcb.pdf&urlslug=RusAF%20Reinstatement%20Plan%20(1%20Mar%202021 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
44

Andersen cautioned that presenting the post-reinstatement conditions to Council for approval in July did notmean that the Taskforce would recommend RusAF be reinstated at that time. He said any consideration ofreinstatement would be “subject to further discussions”.
On 8 April 2022 the World Athletics announced the creation of a fund to support athletes affected by the
conflict

Ukraine Fund launches to support athletes affected by conflict“World Athletics, together with the International Athletics Foundation (IAF) and the Members of the
Diamond League Association, has today launched a Ukraine Fund to support professional athletes affectedby the conflict in their home country.
The fund’s purpose is to ensure that elite Ukrainian athletes and their key support personnel can continue totrain, qualify and participate in World Championship events following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Two groups will be eligible for funding: individual athletes (Group One) and key athlete support personnel
and immediate family members (Group Two).
Group One includes athletes who are affiliated to the Ukrainian Athletic Association and have qualified, or
have a credible chance to qualify, to compete at any upcoming World Athletics Championships until fundclosure. Group Two includes those acting as a designated coach or team leader to athletes in Group One, as
well as parents, spouses and children living together with athletes in Group One.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe commented: “It’s only right that the athletics community provides
whatever support we can to the athletes of Ukraine, who have been put in this terrible situation and need ourassistance to continue training and competing. I know several of our Member Federations in Europe are
already hosting groups of Ukrainian athletes in training camps and I’m grateful for their humanitarian
approach to these tragic circumstances. This fund will provide further support for Ukrainian athletes toenable them to have some stability and security as they prepare to represent their country while the war
continues.”
Commenting from Ukraine, President of the Ukrainian Athletic Association Yevhenii Pronin said: “In darktimes you can clearly see bright people. World Athletics, Diamond League, IAF and all the national
federations that offered us their help - this is the standard of unity and support!
"Thousands of victims, millions of refugees, destroyed infrastructure, including sports infrastructure,terrified our hearts, but we believe that the worst is over.
"Every day I thank from my heart the entire world community for opening the doors of their homes for ourpeople, for everyone who helps our athletes and their families and for World Athletics, for creating this fundfor our athletes and our sport.
"The entire team of the federation is safe and is working to ensure that the athletes of our country and theirfamilies are safe and together with you we will save our favorite sport and make it stronger. Thank you fromall Ukraine."
The fund will provide financial assistance to the following:
For Group One:
• Enrolment, subsistence and accommodation, at training camps / temporary housing;• Travel and accommodation to compete at qualifying events for World Championships;• Travel and accommodation to compete at World Athletics Championships if not otherwise provided;• Training material and equipment.

45

For Group Two:
• Coach attendance to training and competition;• Travel and accommodation to accompany Group One athletes at qualifying events for WorldChampionships;• Travel and accommodation to accompany Group One athletes at World Athletics Championships.
The fund opens today with a current budget of US$190,000, created with contributions from the IAF,
Diamond League members and World Athletics. The Diamond League Association has previously donated
US$30,000 directly to the Ukrainian Athletic Association and many of the individual meeting organisers will
provide additional travel and accommodation support to athletes wanting to compete in their meetings.
It is expected that up to 100 Ukrainian athletes may require some financial support this year.
The fund can receive additional contributions at any time until fund closure which is set for 31 December
2023. Funding per beneficiary will be allocated on a needs-basis.
Potential beneficiaries can register for consideration by emailing UKRFund@worldathletics.org
Other athletics organisations who would like to contribute to the fund, should also contact
UKRFund@worldathletics.org
World Athletics will coordinate with the International Olympic Committee’s Solidarity Fund for the
Ukrainian Olympic community, through senior vice-president Sergey Bubka, to prevent any duplication ofefforts”.

46

BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL – WBSC

Overview:
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has stated that no Russian or Belarusianathletes or officials will be invited or allowed to participate in international competitions it
sanctions.
The WBSC, WBSC Europe and local organising committees have granted support to the Ukraine
Baseball Softball Federation to cover a major part of the cost related to accommodation, board andtransport during its participation in European Championships in 2022.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 28 February 2022 the WBSC issued the following statement:42“The World Baseball Softball Confederation fully supports the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Executive Board’s announcement and its condemnation of the breach by the Russian government of the
Olympic Truce. The WBSC stands in solidarity with Ukraine and the entire international sports movement in
its call to end the violence and restore peace.
The WBSC also supports the IOC Executive Board’s request for International Federations to relocate events
away from Russia and Belarus and not to invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes
and officials in international competitions.
While the WBSC does not have any events in Russia or Belarus and there are no teams from Russia or
Belarus currently qualified for WBSC events, the WBSC will assist the WBSC’s continental body - WBSC
Europe - with this measure.
In the meantime, the WBSC will continue to monitor the situation and support the Ukrainian Baseball &Softball National Federation wherever possible as well as any other federation affected by this crisis”.
On the 19 April 2022, the WBSC announced that some “local organising committees have also offered theopportunity to accommodate Ukraine in advance of European tournaments this year to help the teams
prepare for the continental events.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), together with WBSC Europe and host federations of
WBSC Europe tournaments this year, have granted financial and logistic support to the Ukraine National
Baseball and Softball Teams to assist with their potential participation in this year’s European
Championships.
In line with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) task force to support the Ukrainian Olympic
Community, the WBSC, WBSC Europe and local organising committees will grant support to the Ukraine
Baseball Softball Federation to cover a major part of the cost related to accommodation, board andtransport during its participation in European Championships in 2022.
In addition, some local organising committees have offered the opportunity to accommodate Ukraine inadvance of the tournaments, to help the teams prepare for the continental events.

42

Also available on https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/wbsc-statement-on-ukraine (last visited on 23 June 2022).
47

Ukrainian athletes have also received support from local European baseball and softball leagues, giving
them the chance to keep practising and playing this season43.”

43

WBSC, WBSC Europe & National Federations provide support for Ukraine’s national baseball / softball team,https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/wbsc-wbsc-europe-national-federations-provide-support-for-ukraines-national-baseballsoftball-teams (last visited on 23 June 2022).
48

BASKETBALL – FIBA

Overview
The International Basketball Federation initially declared that Russian teams and officials will not
be allowed to participate in FIBA Basketball and 3x3 Basketball competitions until further notice.
Furthermore, the International Federation has decided that no FIBA Official BasketballCompetitions are to be held in Russia or Belarus until further notice.
Finally, Teams from the RBF and the BBF have been withdrawn from the FIBA National Team
Competitions.
FIBA Europe adopted the same measures towards the RBF and the BBF with regard to its own
competitions.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 1 March 2022 FIBA issued the following:
FIBA statement on Russian teams and officials“FIBA remains very concerned by the recent events in Ukraine and expresses its deepest sympathies
to the victims.
In line with the International Olympic Committee Executive Board resolution and its reasons, FIBA
has announced today that Russian teams and officials will not be allowed to participate in FIBA
Basketball and 3x3 Basketball competitions until further notice.
FIBA will communicate any further decisions taken by the Central Board at its meeting on March
25, as well as by FIBA's European Zone bodies in the next coming days.
FIBA strongly condemns violence and hopes peace will urgently prevail”.
On 18 May 2022 FIBA issued a press release44:
FIBA decisions on Russia and Belarus for upcoming competitions“Further to the decision taken on March 1, 2022, and confirmed by the Central Board on March
25, 2022, to not allow Russian teams and officials to participate in FIBA Basketball and 3x3
Basketball competitions, the FIBA Executive Committee today has confirmed the following
decisions in regard to the Russian Basketball Federation (RBF) and the Belarusian Basketball
Federation (BBF) for FIBA Basketball Competitions that will take place over the coming months.
FIBA's Executive Committee has decided the following:
44

Available on https://www.fiba.basketball/news/fiba-decisions-on-russia-and-belarus-for-upcoming-competitions(last visited on 23 June 2022).
49

• No FIBA Official Basketball Competitions are to be held in Russia or Belarus until further notice.
• Teams from the RBF and the BBF are to be withdrawn from the following FIBA National Team
Competitions:
FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers
Russia is withdrawn from Group H and Belarus is withdrawn from Group B of the FIBA Basketball
World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers, with no replacement teams appointed. All results from bothteams are annulled and consequently, the rest of the Group's teams advance to the second round of
Qualifiers with 4 games played. To uniformly classify teams across these two groups (H and G; A
and B), the first-round games against the last ranked teams of Group G and Group A will not be
considered for the classification to Group L and I.
FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup 2022
Russia is withdrawn from the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 to be played in
Hungary from July 9 to 17. The replacement team is Serbia, second in Group B of the FIBA U16
Women's European Challenger 2021 and only second team of any group that did not qualify(qualification in that group was given to the host Hungary who finished third).
FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022
Russia is withdrawn from the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 to be played in Australia
from September 22 to October 1. The replacement team is Puerto Rico, as decided last March given
the circumstances surrounding the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 Qualifying
Tournament in Washington D.C.
• Teams from the RBF and BBF are to be withdrawn from the following FIBA 3x3 National Team
Competitions:
FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2022
Russia is withdrawn from the FIBA 3x3 World Cup. The next ranked teams, Israel for women andSlovenia for men, will be invited to participate.
FIBA 3x3 U23 Nations League 2022
Russia is withdrawn from the FIBA 3x3 U23 Nations League. There will be no replacement teams.
FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup (Qualifiers) 2022
Belarus is withdrawn from the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup Qualifiers 2022. There will be no
replacement teams.
Russia is withdrawn from the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup 2022. The replacement teams will qualify
through the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup Qualifiers 2022.
FIBA 3x3 U17 Europe Cup Qualifiers 2022
Belarus is withdrawn from the FIBA 3x3 U17 Europe Cup Qualifiers 2022. There will be no
replacement teams.

50

FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup 2022
Belarus is withdrawn from the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup 2022. The next ranked teams, Belgium for
women and Lithuania for men, will be invited to participate.
• Teams representing Russian or Belarusian clubs or cities, as well as Russian and Belarusianplayers, are not allowed to register and qualifiers will not be held in Russia or Belarus for thefollowing FIBA 3x3 Pro Circuit events:
FIBA 3x3 World Tour
FIBA 3x3 Challengers
FIBA 3x3 Women's Series
FIBA's European Zone Board and the Basketball Champions League Board have been invited totake corresponding decisions for the respective national team and club competitions, which will be
communicated in the next coming days. FIBA will continue to closely monitor the situation and takefurther decisions as needed”.
On 20 May 2022 FIBA issued the following press release45:
Russia and Belarus withdrawn from FIBA's European national team and club competitions“The Board of FIBA Europe, which convened in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Friday, decided
to apply also to the European national team and club competitions the ruling that FIBA’s Executive
Committee reached on Wednesday regarding Russia and Belarus.
Specifically, no official basketball competitions are to be held in either Russia or Belarus until
further notice, while the teams of the Russian Basketball Federation and of the Belarusian
Basketball Federation are being withdrawn from the upcoming national team competitions and fromthe club competition season 2022-23.
The decision of the FIBA Europe Board directly affects the following European competitions:
FIBA EuroBasket 2022
Russia is withdrawn from FIBA EuroBasket 2022. Montenegro, as the team with the best win-loss
record (3-3) among those who didn’t advance from the EuroBasket Qualifiers, will replace Russia
in the tournament and will compete in Group A in Tbilisi.
FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers
A total of 12 teams will compete in the Second Round of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers,
including: the six teams that won't advance past the First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup
2023 European Qualifiers (following the exclusion of Russia and Belarus); the three group winners
in the First Round of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers; The two best second-placed teamsin the First Round of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers; Cyprus, as one of the FIBAEuroBasket 2025 co-hosts. These teams will compete in three groups of four teams each, instead offour groups of three teams each, as was the initial format. Cyprus and the three group winners will
advance to the Qualifiers. All other teams (from both the First and Second Round) will go on tocompete in the Third Round, which is set to start in the summer of 2023.
45

Available on https://www.fiba.basketball/news/russia-and-belarus-withdrawn-from-fiba-european-national-team-andclub-competitions (last visited on 23 June 2022).
51

FIBA U20 European Championship 2022
Russia is withdrawn from the FIBA U20 European Championship. Russia had finished in fourth
place in the most recent edition (2019) of the Division B tournament and had been promoted toDivision A as the replacement team for Great Britain, which didn’t register for 2022. Therefore
Poland, which finished 14th in the 2019 edition of Division A, will be the replacement team for
Russia (subject to confirmation).
FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship 2022
Russia is withdrawn from the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship. Great Britain, which
had taken 4th place in the most recent edition of the Division B tournament (in 2019) would be thereplacement team but didn’t register for this year. Therefore Portugal, who finished 14th in the 2019
edition of the Division A championship, will replace Russia (subject to confirmation).
FIBA U18 European Championship 2022
Russia is withdrawn from the FIBA U18 European Championship. North Macedonia, that hadfinished in fourth place in the most recent edition (2019) of the Division B tournament, will be thereplacement team (subject to confirmation).
FIBA U18 European Championship Division B 2022
Belarus is withdrawn from the FIBA U18 European Championship Division B. Since one team will
replace Russia in Division A (see above), the 2022 Division B tournament will be played with 22
teams.
FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship 2022
Both Russia and Belarus are withdrawn from the FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship.
Sweden, which took 4th place in the Division B championship in 2019, will be the replacement
team for Russia ((subject to confirmation). Bosnia and Herzegovina, which finished in 14th place inDivision A in 2019, will replace Belarus (subject to confirmation).
FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship Division B 2022
As two teams from Division B will compete in Division A (see above) the FIBA U18 Women’s
European Championship Division B will take place with 18 competing teams, instead of 20.
FIBA U16 European Championship 2022
Russia is withdrawn from the FIBA U16 European Championship. Montenegro, which had finishedin 4th place in the 2019 edition of the Division B tournament, will replace Russia (subject toconfirmation).
FIBA U16 European Championship Division B 2022
Belarus is withdrawn from FIBA U16 European Championship Division B and since one team will
replace Russia in Division A (see above), this year’s Division B tournament will be played with 22
teams.
FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship 2022
Russia is withdrawn from the FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship. Norway, which hadtaken 4th place in the 2019 edition of the Division B competition, will be the replacement team(subject to confirmation).
FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship Division B 2022

52

Belarus is withdrawn from the FIBA U16 Women’s European Championship Division B and, since
one team is replacing Russia (see above), the 2022 edition of the Division B tournament will beplayed with 19 teams.
EuroLeague Women 2022-23, EuroCup Women 2022-23 and FIBA Europe Cup 2022-23
No clubs from either Russia or Belarus will be eligible to register for any of these three continental
club competitions for the 2022-23 season”.
On the same day FIBA issued a second press release46:
Russia and Belarus withdrawn from Basketball Champions League 2022-23“The Basketball Champions League Board, which convened today, decided to apply the decisionthat FIBA's Executive Committee reached on Wednesday regarding Russia and Belarus.
Specifically, teams of the Russian Basketball Federation and of the Belarusian Basketball
Federation are being withdrawn from the upcoming national team competitions and from the clubcompetition season 2022-23.
As a consequence, no clubs from Russia or Belarus will be eligible to register to the BasketballChampions League 2022-23 season”.

46

Available on https://www.championsleague.basketball/21-22/news/russia-and-belarus-withdrawn-from-basketballchampions-league-2022-23 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
53

BIATHLON – IBU

Overview:
Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials are currently suspended – even as “neutral athletes”
from participating in International Biathlon Union events.
The IBU has also decided to suspend the Russian and Belarus federations for violation of their
humanitarian obligations for member federations under the IBU Constitution.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 2 March 2022 the IBU issued the following press release 47:
Russian and Belarussian biathletes banned from IBU events“The IBU Executive Board (EB) met last night to agree on further action against Russia and Belarus inlight of the ongoing war against Ukraine and the latest IOC recommendations.
The IBU EB previously decided that it would prohibit any Russian or Belarussian representation, flags,
anthems and uniforms at its remaining World Cup and IBU Cup events. In addition, the EB announced it
would go beyond the IOC recommendations at that time and only allow Russian and Belarusian athletes tocompete as neutral athletes, with no Nations Cup points being awarded for either of the two nations.
Following the new IOC recommendations, the IBU EB has decided now not to allow the participation of any
Russian or Belarusian athletes or officials at its international events until further notice including non-sports
events organised by the IBU for its members. The EB will further discuss a potential suspension of the twonational federations from their IBU membership, latest at the regular EB meeting on 17 March. The Russian
Biathlon Union (RBU) has been relegated to provisional membership already in 2017, which means that
there are no events held or planned in Russia until 2026 and no RBU representatives are holding any
official’s position in the IBU.
The EB believes this decision is necessary in order to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and the Olympic
community and to protect the integrity of IBU competitions and the safety of its participants in sport andnon-sports events.
Above all, the EB expresses its deepest condolences on the loss of former Ukrainian biathlete Yevhen
Malyshev (19), who died this week serving in the Ukrainian military. The EB once again condemns theRussian attacks on Ukraine and the support provided by Belarus and reiterates its hope for an immediate
end to the war”.

On 29 March 2022 the IBU issued the following press release48:
IBU Suspends National Federations of Russia and Belarus

47

The IBU on Russian and Belarrusian biathletes ban from IBU events, https://www.biathlonworld.com/news/russiabelarus-ban-biathlon/5ZE0Cw161gYi3hJpeXsiAw (last visited on 23 June 2022).
48
Available on https://www.biathlonworld.com/news/ibu-suspends-russia-belarus/6qaHB3J4ixd M880SXCL79D (lastvisited on 23 June 2022).
54

“The IBU Executive Board (EB) has unanimously decided to suspend the National Federations of Russia(RBU) and Belarus (BiFB) with immediate effect.
Both federations have violated the humanitarian obligations for member federations under the IBU
Constitution. These violations by RBU and BiFB bring the IBU and the sport of biathlon into disrepute, andtheir active membership would undermine the IBU’s and its members’ efforts to promote its constitutional
principles and purposes with credibility.
In addition, the EB agreed that given the Russian invasion of Ukraine has stopped the activities of the
Ukrainian Biathlon Federation it would be unfair for the NFs of the attacking countries to continue to enjoy
the full rights of IBU membership when their nations have disrupted the conduct of sport in Ukraine.
The EB will monitor the developments of this situation very closely and will review this decision in the eventof a change of circumstances. The decision shall also be reviewed by the 2022 IBU Congress in its meetingon 15-19 September 2022, if it has not been lifted by the IBU Executive Board before”.

55

CANOEING – ICF

Overview:
Russian and Belarusian athletes are suspended from competing at any International Canoe
Federation events.
Officials from the Russian and Belarus federations have also been suspended from officiating at any
event sanctioned by the governing body, and from attending or taking part in any ICF meetings.
The national flags, national anthems and federation images of Russia and Belarus will be removed
from all ICF international competitions, websites and graphic materials until further notice.
Finally, the IBU has also announced an emergency fund in favour of Ukrainian Athletes.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 1 March 2022 the ICF issued the following press release:
The Athletes from Russia and Belarus will be suspended from competing at any International
Canoe Federation events until further notice because of hostilities in Ukraine, it was announced
today.
“Athletes from Russia and Belarus will be suspended from competing at any International Canoe
Federation events until further notice because of hostilities in Ukraine, it was announced today.
In addition to athletes, the executive committee of the ICF also voted unanimously to suspend all
officials from Russia and Belarus from officiating at any event sanctioned by the governing body,and from attending or taking part in any ICF meetings, committees and forums, until further notice.
The suspension follows the decision taken last week to remove the three ICF events scheduled to beheld in Russia this year – a SUP World Cup, and two canoe sprint Super Cups.
ICF President Thomas Konietzko said the ICF executive committee was unanimous in its support
for the strong stand taken by the International Olympic Committee, and had no hesitation in taking
its own strong decisions to condemn the behavior of the two countries.
‘We have been in constant contact with our canoeing family in Ukraine, and it is obvious this isa very stressful and worrying time for everyone,” Mr Konietzko said.
As a global sport, we have an important role to play and need to show leadership on issues likethis. We know that innocent athletes and officials in Russia and Belarus who do not support theactions of their government are being punished, but the cost for our athletes, coaches andofficials in Ukraine is much higher.
On behalf of the ICF, we urge the Russian and Belarus governments to not only uphold themeaning of the Olympic Truce, but also to read the room. Their actions have very few friends
anywhere on the planet, and the long term damage to their own reputation will be hard to
repair’.

56

The ICF executive committee has also voted to remove Russian and Belarusian flags from allinternational events, and to ban those countries national anthems and federation images from ICF
website and social media accounts.
The committee also agreed to set up a donation account to raise money for Ukrainian athletescaught up in the hostilities, and has asked national federations to donate if possible to the cause.
The ICF will continue to monitor the ongoing situation with a view to amend the sanctions if
necessary.
The full ICF executive committee decision is as follows;
The ICF Executive Committee decided today on the following measures based on chapter 4;paragraph d of our ICF statutes.
The sanctions are a response to the disregard of Russia and Belarus of the objectives of the ICF as
stated in Article 2, and of the violation of the IOC Code of Ethics and the clear breach of the
Olympic Truce.
The ICF Executive Committee (Exco) strongly condemns the war of aggression against thesovereign state of Ukraine by the Russian government, currently being supported by the Belarusian
Government. The breach of the Olympic truce is a clear abuse of the UN rules recognised by all
countries, and the war of aggression is a blatant violation of all principals of human rights andconstitutes an ongoing war crime. The Russian government is disregarding all the values ofhumanity and sport.
The ICF Exco therefore expressly supports the decisions of the IOC EB of 28.02.2022.
We are aware that necessary measures have an effect upon innocent athletes and officials from both
Russia and Belarus, which we deeply regret. However we must take into account the effect Russian
actions are having on innocent Ukrainian athletes.
The ICF Exco has therefore agreed unanimously today on the following measures:
1. The Russian Canoe Federation will be stripped of the right to host three ICF international
competitions it had been awarded for 2022 – an ICF SUP World Cup and two ICF SuperCups.
2. Russian and Belarusian athletes, officials and judges will be suspended from all ICF
international competitions and executive committee, board, committees, commissions andforums of discussion until further notice.
3. The national flags, national anthems and federation images of Russia and Belarus will be
removed from all ICF international competitions, websites and graphic materials until
further notice.
4. The International Canoe Federation supports the Ukrainian canoe family, and calls uponnational canoe federations and members of the broader paddling community to donate to an
emergency fund, which will be administered by the ICF, and will provide assistance to the
Ukrainian Canoe Federation and its athletes and officials during this difficult time”.
On 5 March 2022 the European Canoe Association issued the following press release49:
49

Available on https://www.canoe-europe.org/news/eca-stands-by-the-ioc-and-icf-decisions-2265 (last visited on 23
June 2022).
57

European Canoe Association stands by the IOC and ICF decisions on Russia“The European Canoe Association stands with the international community in these times andsupports the decisions and actions taken by the International Olympic Committee and International
Canoe Federation.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus will be suspended from competing at any European Canoe
Association events until further notice because of hostilities in Ukraine.
In addition to athletes, the board of directors of the ECA also voted to suspend all officials from
Russia and Belarus from officiating at any event sanctioned by the governing body, and from
attending or taking part in any ECA meetings, committees and forums, until further notice.
The ECA will continue to monitor the ongoing situation with a view to amend the sanctions if
necessary”.

58

CHESS – FIDE

Overview
No Russian and Belarusian national flag will be displayed or anthem be played in all FIDE-rated
international chess events.
Russian and Belarusian flags and anthems will not be raised or played at any International Chess
Federation events. All existing sponsorship deals with sanctioned Russian / Belarusian companies
and/or companies controlled by the State will be terminated.
National teams of Russia and Belarus have been excluded from participation in official FIDE
tournaments until further notice. In the individual tournaments of the FIDE World Championshipcycle, players from these countries will be allowed to participate under the FIDE flag.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 2 March 2022 the FIDE issued the following statement50.
The Official Statement of FIDE Council“On February 27, 2022, an extraordinary meeting of the FIDE Council was held on the current
situation and the urgent measures to be taken after the military action launched by Russia in
Ukraine.
As stated by the FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, the FIDE Council regards its main mission inpreserving the unity of FIDE and respecting the basic human rights enshrined in the FIDE Charter.
In this regard, the FIDE Council has adopted a number of important emergency decisions.
FIDE Council approves the following statement condemning the military action:“FIDE expresses its grave concern about the military action started by Russia in Ukraine. FIDE
stands united against wars as well as condemns any use of military means to resolve politicalconflicts. FIDE will take any necessary action to ensure the security of chess players and othermembers of the chess community. No official FIDE chess competitions and events will be held in
Russia and Belarus.”
Following the call from IOC, the FIDE Council decides that no Russian and Belarusian national
flag be displayed or anthem be played in all FIDE-rated international chess events. Instead – thenational chess federation’s flag or the official symbol/logo shall be used. A simplified procedure for
performing under the FIDE flag would be followed where it is crucial for the players or any otherchess officials under the current geopolitical situation.
In order to safeguard FIDE from reputational, financial, and any other possible risks, FIDE
terminates all existing sponsorship agreements with any Belarusian and Russian sanctioned and/or

50

Available on https://www.fide.com/news/1603 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
59

state-controlled companies and will not enter into new sponsorship agreements with any suchcompanies.
FIDE Council condemns any public statement from any member of the chess community which
supports unjustified military action and brings the case of chess grandmasters Sergey Karjakin andSergey Shipov to the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission.
The FIDE Council reaffirms the FIDE Congress dates, welcomes the AICF's bid to host the 44th
Chess Olympiad, and suggests 10 days for other bids.
The FIDE Council suggests that regardless of the organization of the Chess Olympiad 2022, FIDE
will organize the annual FIDE Congress during the previously planned dates – from 27.07.2022.
till 02.08.2022. with the election date on 01.08.2022. The preference is to combine the FIDE
Congress with the Chess Olympiad 2022. However, consultations with the potential organizers of
the Chess Olympiad 2022 will be carried out and adjustment of the FIDE Congress dates ispossible if it does not imply a notable delay of elections. The FIDE Council confirms that thecontinental elections shall be organized within their constitutional terms.
The FIDE Council confirms its commitment to the continuation of all the established development
programs for national federations, zones, continents, and affiliated organizations”.
On 2 March 2022 there was the following update:“After receiving the opinion of Mr Rivello, the Chair of FIDE Constitutional Commission, the FIDE
Council decides to suspend the title of the FIDE Ambassador for Life for Anatoly Karpov and asks
the General Assembly to take a decision on the matter. The FIDE Council also approves thatsanctioned persons would be denied to hold any honorary or official positions in FIDE and would
not be invited to any official FIDE events. Both decisions have been taken by the majority of votes”.
On 16 March 2022 FIDE issued the following Press Release51:
Russia and Belarus teams suspended from FIDE competitions

Taking into account the current recommendations of the IOC, the FIDE Council suspends thenational teams of Russia and Belarus from participation in official FIDE tournaments until further
notice. In the individual tournaments of the FIDE World Championship cycle, players from thesecountries will be able to participate under the FIDE flag.
On 23 March 2022 FIDE issued the following press release52:
FIDE Council Meeting, March 15, 2022: List of decisions“The FIDE Council held on March 15, 2022, in online format, made several important decisions:
1. To award the organisation of the 44th Chess Olympiad to the All India Chess Federation to beorganised in Chennai within the period from 28.07.(opening ceremony) till 10.08. (departure).
51
52

Available at https://www.fide.com/news/1638 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
Available on https://www.fide.com/news/1750 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
60

2. To award the organisation of the 94th FIDE Congress to the All India Chess Federation to beorganised in Chennai within the period from 31.07. (arrival) till 09.08. (departure) and to approve
07.08. as the date for FIDE elections.
3. To note strong preference to organise the Chess Olympiad for people with disabilities at thesame dates as the 44th Chess Olympiad.
4. Taking into account the current recommendations of the IOC, to suspend the national teams of
Russia and Belarus from participation in official FIDE tournaments until further notice. In theindividual tournaments of the FIDE World Championship cycle, players from these countries willbe allowed to participate under the FIDE flag.
5. To postpone the Women’s Candidates Tournament 2022 to the last quarter of 2022 and tocontinue consultations with players regarding the format of the tournament.
6. To approve the proposals of the FIDE Medical Commission in principle. To request the FIDEManagement Board and FIDE Medical Commission to prepare details regarding practical steps inrespect of the implementation.
7. To hold the next meeting of the FIDE Council on 27-29 April 2022 in the United Arab Emirates.
8. To approve the bid of the Isle of Man for the organisation of the Grand Swiss 2023 and WomenGrand Swiss 2023”.
On 11 May 2022 FIDE issued the following press release53:
FIDE awards grants to Ukrainian seniors and disabled players“A dedicated FIDE panel under the chairmanship of FIDE Director-General Emil Sutovsky
awarded grants for an amount of €2,000 each to 5 prominent Ukrainian veteran trainers.
The panel would like to thank the leading Ukrainian players for their recommendations, and fortheir concern about chess veterans.
FIDE has also contributed €1,500 to allow the IM Ukrainian Igor Yarmonov to take part in the 21st
IPCA World Individual Chess Championship 2022 that is currently being held in Ashdod, Israel”.

On 14 May 2022 FIDE issued the following press release:
FIDE extends simplified procedure for playing under FIDE flag
Twitter

On March 6, 2022, the FIDE Council approved a simplified procedure for Russian/Belarussian
players to perform under the FIDE flag. This procedure was initially planned to stay in place until
May 31, 2022.
The FIDE Council has now approved extending this measure as follows:

53

Available on https://www.fide.com/news/1750 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
61

1. The right to play under the FIDE flag is granted until 31 December 2022. After this period, in theabsence of other requests, the player will automatically be returned to the previous federation.
2. All players who have previously been transferred to play under the FIDE flag according to theresolution, will continue to perform under the FIDE flag unless they send a request to return to theflag of Russia/Belarus.

62

CURLING – WFC

Overview

Following the IOC recommendations, the World Curling Federation (WCF) removed:(i)the European Curling Championships 2022 from Russia;(ii)
the Russian Curling Federation entries from the 2022 International Curling sports
events.
(iii)
all Russian athletes from the recent World Championships.
Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 25 February 2022 the World Curling Federation issued the following press release54:

World Curling Federation remove European Curling Championships 2022 from Russia
After an emergency convening of the World Curling Federation Board, a decision was made toremove the hosting of the European Curling Championships 2022 from the Russian city of Perm.
The World Curling Federation shares the international community’s concern for the ongoingsituation in Eastern Europe and together with the International Olympic Committee, strongly
condemns the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian government.
The World Curling Federation works tirelessly to promote its values of friendship and respect
through the Spirit of Curling worldwide and we hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to thecurrent situation.
Further details of a new host for the European Championships will be determined in due time.

On 28 February 2022 the World Curling Federation issued the following press release.
World Curling Federation adopts emergency regulation for sanctioned competitions“The World Curling Federation Board today adopted an emergency ruling following a legal
consultation regarding the situation surrounding Russian athletes competing at WorldChampionship events.
Using the powers available to the Board under the World Curling Constitution Article 16.13.5 (infull below), the World Curling Federation Board has inserted the following new rule into the Rulesof Curling and Rules of Competition:
Rule C1(b) The Board of the WCF may remove a team or Member Association from any WCF event
if in the sole opinion of the Board their presence at the event would damage the event or put thesafety of the participants or the good order of the event at risk.
54

Available on https://worldcurling.org/2022/02/statement-ecc2022/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
63

The remaining clauses within Rule C1 shall be renumbered to incorporate this rule addition.
This new regulation has been passed to the Member Associations of the World Curling Federation,
who now have three days to voice their objections to its adoption.
Should there be no objections, then at the conclusion of the three-day evaluation window, the World
Curling Federation will then begin the process of removing the Russian Curling Federation entries
from the upcoming World Championships.
The World Curling Federation strongly condemns the military action undertaken by the Russian
Government in their invasion of Ukraine and continues to hope for a swift and peaceful resolution
to the situation.
Constitution Article 16.13.5“when urgent, take decisions normally assumed by the General Assembly (as per Art.15) except
election of Board Members, expulsion of a Member Association, changes to the Constitution anddissolution of the WCF. In addition, in emergency situations between General Assemblies, theBoard may propose changes to the Rules of Curling and the Rules of Competition. Any changes
proposed by the Board in an emergency situation will be circulated to the Member Associations andif more than 10% of the Member Associations, holding full membership and being in good standing
object in writing to the Board within 3 working days of notice being given, the rule change will not
be implemented and the matter will be referred to the next General Assembly of the WCF.
Otherwise the Board’s decision to revise the rule(s) for the emergency situation will stand until thenext General Assembly”.

On 4 March 2022 the World Curling Federation issued the following press release.
World Curling Federation adopts new rule and excludes RCF for 2021–2022 season“The World Curling Federation have now adopted Rule C1(b) into the Rules of Curling and Rulesof Competition for the remainder of the 2021–2022 season following the conclusion of a three day
evaluation window by the Member Associations.
Rule C1(b) states: The Board of the WCF may remove a team or Member Association from any
WCF event if in the sole opinion of the Board their presence at the event would damage the event or
put the safety of the participants or the good order of the event at risk.
With this rule adoption, the World Curling Federation Board have now approved the removal of theRussian Curling Federation entries from the following events:
World Women’s Curling Championship 2022
World Men’s Curling Championship 2022
World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2022
World Senior Curling Championships 2022
World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2022
World Junior Curling Championships 2022
Decisions on the 2022–2023 season will be taken following the 2022 Annual General Assembly, atwhich Rule C1(b) would need to be adopted by the Member Associations on a permanent basis”.

64

CYCLING – UCI

Overview
The International Cycling Union has declared that Russian and Belarusian national teams or
selections are not authorised to take part in any events it sanctions.
Russian and Belarusian teams will have their UCI Team status withdrawn.
Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to participate in UCI events as neutrals.
No events will take place in Russia or Belarus, including the Russian and Belarusian National
Championships. Russian and Belarusian emblems, names, acronyms, flags and anthems have beenbanned at UCI events.
Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 1 March 2022 the UCI issued the following press release55:
The UCI takes strong measures in the face of the situation in Ukraine
The Management Committee of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) met at an extraordinary
session today to discuss the situation in Ukraine and the measures that the UCI means to take inthis respect.
The UCI again expresses its very great concern over the situation in Ukraine and firmly condemns
the aggression of the Russian and Belarusian governments and their non-respect of the Olympic
Truce. The UCI wishes to see a return to peace as rapidly as possible and calls for the respect of
Olympic values. Indeed, sport in general and cycling in particular are vehicles of peace, friendship,solidarity and tolerance.
First of all, the UCI has decided to offer its support to the Ukrainian cycling community and has
committed to welcoming Ukrainian athletes to the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC), its educationand training centre in Aigle, Switzerland. In this respect, the UCI is in permanent contact with the
National Federation of Ukraine. The UCI President David Lappartient, together with the Presidentof the Union Européenne de Cyclisme (UEC) Enrico Della Casa, will meet the President andrepresentatives of the Ukraine National Federation during the UEC Congress in Denmark thisweekend to define the procedures for coming to the aid of Ukraine’s cycling community.
Moreover, the UCI welcomes the strong decisions taken by the International Olympic Committee(IOC) on 28 February and has decided to apply them to cycling.
The UCI, which remains a politically neutral organisation, laments that the decisions of theirgovernment can impact Russian and Belarusian athletes, but it is necessary to be firm in the
defence of the Olympic values.
55

Availableon
https://www.uci.org/pressrelease/the-uci-takes-strong-measures-in-the-face-of-the-situation-inukraine/6V8FrkqsPbhbeMIc8rgb3t (last visited on 23 June 2022).
65

As pointed out this morning during an emergency meeting of International Federations organisedby the IOC and presided over by the President Thomas Bach - with the participation of David
Lappartient and UCI Director General Amina Lanaya -, it is a question of taking preventive
measures with the objective of ensuring the integrity and security of sporting competitions and therespect of the Olympic values.
In light of the situation, the UCI Management Committee has unanimously taken the following
decisions:
1. Russian and Belarusian national teams and / or national selections are not authorised to takepart in any events on the UCI International Calendar, with immediate effect.
2. UCI Team status is withdrawn from all teams under Russian or Belarusian nationality and the
UCI shall not consider any further applications for UCI status from teams from these two countries.
The withdrawal of UCI Team status concerns the following teams:
UCI ProTeam Gazprom – RusVelo (RUS)
UCI Continental Team Vozrozhdenie (RUS)
UCI Track Team Marathon – Tula Cycling Team (RUS)
UCI Continental Team CCN Factory Racing (BLR)
UCI Continental Team Minsk Cycling Club (BLR)
UCI Women’s Continental Team Minsk Cycling Club (BLR).
3. The UCI withdraws all Russian and Belarusian events from the 2022 UCI International Calendar
and shall not consider any further registration requests. The following events are concerned by thewithdrawal from the UCI International Calendar:
Grand Prix Moscow 1: class 2 track event (20-21 May 2022)
Granfondo Moscow: UCI Granfondo World Series event (21-22 May 2022)
Grand Prix Moscow 2: category 2 track event (22 May 2022)
Grand Prix Saint-Petersburg: category 2 track event (26-29 May 2022)
Five Rings of Moscow: class 2.2 road event (8-12 June 2022).
4. The Russian and Belarusian National Championships are also withdrawn from the UCI
International Calendar.
5. The appearance of all emblems, names, acronyms, flags and anthems linked to Russia andBelarus are prohibited at all events on the UCI International Calendar. The Russian andBelarusian National Champions’ jerseys are therefore banned.
6. Any bids from Russian and Belarusian candidates for the organisation of UCI events shall not be
considered.
7. The UCI forbids organisers of events on the UCI International Calendar from inviting Russianand Belarusian club, regional or mixed teams.
8. The UCI will not appoint Russian or Belarusian International Commissaires to UCI
International Calendar events until further notice.
The UCI wishes to clarify that Russian and Belarusian licence-holders are authorised to take partin events on the UCI International Calendar with their respective teams provided they are66

registered with a UCI Team that is neither Russian nor Belarusian. Russian and Belarusian riders
can also participate in UCI International Calendar events if individual registration is authorised.
Any participation of Russian or Belarusian athletes must be in a neutral capacity, and organisers
are requested to withdraw any reference to Russia or Belarus, including the name, emblems,
acronyms and flags, and replace them with a neutral reference or denomination on all event-related
documents and in line with instructions to be provided by the UCI.
The decision not to impose a blanket ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes at all international
events is based on obtaining a balance of all interests. In particular, it is a question of taking into
account the contractual rights of the riders and teams concerned, and not to unjustly penalise teams
that are not Russian or Belarusian.
The UCI asks organisers, spectators and competitors to respect Russian and Belarusian riders atraces in which they would be authorised to participate.
Moreover, the UCI Management Committee has decided to introduce a specific regulation enabling
Russian and Belarusian licence-holders with multiple nationalities to request a change to theirsporting nationality without any restriction. It will be possible to accelerate the procedure
concerning this measure, which already exists in the UCI Regulations.
Specific measures will be studied with a view to allowing riders and staff members of Russian andBelarusian teams to register with a UCI Team that is neither Russian nor Belarusian outside of theregistration periods.
Concerning the Russian and Belarusian National Federations, and in line with responses given by
the IOC this morning during the meeting with International Federation Presidents, it is notnecessary to suspend these because they are not implicated in the violation of the Olympic Truce. In
the same vein, concerning Russian and Belarusian members of UCI bodies and commissions, theUCI has chosen to act in line with the IOC’s position presented this morning, which means thatthey may continue to serve as long as they are not directly implicated in the violation of the
Olympic Truce; indeed the priority of the measures taken today is to ensure the integrity andsecurity of sporting competitions.
As part of its decisions, the UCI Management Committee has also taken stance on sponsoring by
Russian or Belarusian brands and companies. As it considers that this would damage the image of
the UCI and cycling in general, such sponsoring will not be authorised. Teams and event
organisers have therefore been requested not to grant any visibility to Russian or Belarusiansponsors at events on the UCI International Calendar.
For the sake of clarity, all measures apply with immediate effect regarding both Russia and Belarus
and cover all categories and disciplines. They will remain in effect until further notice. In the
coming days, the UCI will publish ad hoc rules providing further guidance on the measures
adopted today by the UCI Management Committee. Directives will also be communicated to event
organisers concerning the ban on displaying references to Russia and Belarus.
The UCI specifies that in the event of a State decreeing stricter measures regarding theparticipation of Russian or Belarusian riders or teams at competitions on their territory, thesemeasures would take precedence over the decisions taken by the UCI.

67

The UCI welcomes the courageous stance taken by Russian and Belarusian cyclists and officials ina bid for peace. It calls for restraint from all sides of the conflict as well as for the protection ofcivilians, and hopes that peace will rapidly be restored.
The UCI’s position could evolve as the situation in Ukraine develops”.

On the 24 May 2022, the UCI released a statement on concerning the situation of the former
Gazprom – RusVelo team 56:
UCI statement concerning the situation of the former Gazprom – RusVelo team“As soon as Russia invaded Ukrainian territory, in violation of the Olympic Truce, the UCI took
strong measures, following those taken by the IOC a few days earlier, aiming to ensure the integrity
and safety of sporting competitions and the respect of the Olympic values.
In particular, on 1st March, the UCI withdrew UCI team status from all Russian and Belarusianteams. One of these teams was the UCI ProTeam (2nd division) Gazprom - RusVelo.
Moreover, the UCI took a second measure directly affecting the team, that of declaring any
sponsorship by Russian and Belarusian companies or brands as harmful to the image of cycling.
Under article 1.1.089 of the UCI Regulations, any display of the sponsor Gazprom, as well as thename RusVelo, is therefore prohibited from all events on the UCI International Calendar until
further notice.
The UCI understands that as a result of this latest measure in particular, the main sponsor has
terminated its contract with the team, leaving the paying agent unable to ensure the team's funding
for the 2022 season.
Faced with this difficult situation for the athletes, the UCI immediately informed the paying agentof the possible solutions and conditions for a return to competition. These mainly concern thenationality of the team, which may be modified given the paying agent’s domiciliation in
Switzerland, and the financial capacity of the team.
These conditions still apply and will be considered in determining any request from the paying
agent.
Besides the information provided to the team concerning a possible return to competition, the UCI
has also replied to all communications and requests from riders. The requests made to the UCI whether from the team or the riders - could unfortunately not be considered as they required the
UCI to bear the costs of the team.
Regarding the protection for riders, the UCI reminded them and the Cyclistes Professionnels
Associés (CPA) of the existence of a bank guarantee imposed by the UCI Regulations that enables
three months' salary to be covered for all riders and staff in the event of default of payment.
Despite several reminders of this possibility to the riders and the CPA, the UCI has not, to date,received any request in this regard and is not informed of the payment status of salaries.

56

Available on https://www.uci.org/pressrelease/uci-statement-concerning-the-situation-of-the-former-gazpromrusvelo-team/6H7vBFFEOKD2CozQysUno
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Furthermore, following the decision of the UCI Management Committee on 1st March, aderogation to the rules governing transfers was granted to the riders concerned in order to allow
them to change teams at any time during the season and thus facilitate the pursuit of their careersin another team.
Some of the team's riders have taken advantage of this provision to join other UCI Teams.
Since 1 March 2022, the UCI has never ceased to communicate regularly with the teams concerned
and to respond to all their requests and those of their riders. The UCI remains at the disposal of theteam management and the riders to work with them towards the best possible solution.”

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FOOTBALL – FIFA – UEFA

Overview

FIFA has been among the first international sports federations to take immediate first measures, inline with recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and that will beapplicable until further notice:-

No international competition shall be played on the territory of Russia, with “home”
matches being played on neutral territory and without spectators;
The member association representing Russia shall participate in any competition
under the name “Football Union of Russia (RFU)” and not “Russia”;
No flag or anthem of Russia will be used in matches where teams from the Football
Union of Russia participate.

FIFA and UEFA have suspended Russian international and club teams from their competitions until
further notice.
At the same time, FIFA dopted some important temporary employment and registration rules inorder to provide players and coaches in Ukraine with the opportunity to work and receive a salary.
They will be deemed automatically suspended; i.e. out of contract without any consequences, until
the end of the football season in Ukraine (30 June 2022), and they will be free to be registered for a
foreign club even if the transfer window in the host country is closed.
At the same time, foreign players and coaches will have the right to unilaterally suspend theiremployment contracts with the FUR-affiliated clubs in question until the end of the season in
Russia (30 June 2023).
Finally, the prohibition on international transfer of minors shall not apply to those fleeing from
Ukraine to other countries due to the armed conflict.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 27 February 2022 FIFA issued its first press release on the War in Ukraine57:
Bureau of the FIFA Council takes initial measures with regard to war in Ukraine“First and foremost, FIFA would like to reiterate its condemnation of the use of force by Russia in
its invasion of Ukraine. Violence is never a solution and FIFA expresses its deepest solidarity to all
people affected by what is happening in Ukraine. FIFA calls again for the urgent restoration ofpeace and for constructive dialogue to commence immediately. FIFA remains in close contact with
the Ukrainian Association of Football and members of the Ukrainian football community who havebeen requesting support to leave the country for as long as the current conflict persists. To address
57

Available on https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/media-releases/bureau-of-the-fifa-counciltakes-initial-measures-with-regard-to-war-in (last visited on 23 June 2022).
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football-related matters and in coordination with UEFA, the Bureau of the FIFA Council involving the FIFA President and the six Confederation Presidents - has unanimously decided totake immediate first measures, in line with recommendations from the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) and that will be applicable until further notice:• No international competition shall be played on the territory of Russia, with “home” matches
being played on neutral territory and without spectators• The member association representing Russia shall participate in any competition under the name
“Football Union of Russia (RFU)” and not “Russia”• No flag or anthem of Russia will be used in matches where teams from the Football Union of
Russia participate FIFA will continue its ongoing dialogue with the IOC, UEFA and other sportorganisations to determine any additional measures or sanctions, including a potential exclusionfrom competitions, that shall be applied in the near future should the situation not be improving
rapidly.
The Bureau of the FIFA Council remains on standby to take any of these decisions. Importantly,
FIFA strongly believes that the sport movement should be united in its decisions on this topic andthat sport should continue being a vector of peace and hope. With regard to the upcoming FIFA
World Cup 2022 qualifiers, FIFA has taken good note of the positions expressed via social media
by the Polish Football Association, the Football Association of the Czech Republic and the Swedish
Football Association and has already engaged in dialogue with all of these football associations.
FIFA will remain in close contact to seek to find appropriate and acceptable solutions together.
FIFA’s thoughts remain with everybody affected by this shocking and worrying situation”.

On 28 February 2022 FIFA and UEFA issued a joint statement announcing that they had suspended
all Russian international and club teams from their competitions until further notice58:
FIFA/UEFA suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions“Following the initial decisions adopted by the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee,
which envisaged the adoption of additional measures, FIFA and UEFA have today decided together
that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended
from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice. These decisions wereadopted today by the Bureau of the FIFA Council and the Executive Committee of UEFA,
respectively the highest decision-making bodies of both institutions on such urgent matters.
Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine. Both
Presidents hope that the situation in Ukraine will improve significantly and rapidly so that football
can again be a vector for unity and peace amongst people”. (emphasis added)
On 7 March 2022 FIFA published the following press release59:
FIFA adopts temporary employment and registration rules to address several issues in relation to war in
UkraineFollowing the escalation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has led to an ongoing anddistressing humanitarian crisis, the Bureau of the FIFA Council has decided – in coordination with
58

Available on https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/media-releases/fifa-uefa-suspend-russianclubs-and-national-teams-from-all-competitions (last visited on 23 June 2022).
59
Available on https://www.fifa.com/about-fifa/organisation/fifa-council/media-releases/fifa-adopts-temporaryemployment-and-registration-rules-to-address-several (last visited on 23 June 2022).
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UEFA and after consultation with various stakeholders – to temporarily amend the Regulations on
the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) in order to provide legal certainty and clarity on anumber of matters. The principles are set out in the form of a temporary annexe to the RSTP
(Annexe 7) entitled “Temporary rules addressing the exceptional situation deriving from the war in
Ukraine”.
The following decisions have been taken:
Concerning the situation in Ukraine, in order to provide players and coaches with the opportunity
to work and receive a salary, and to protect Ukrainian clubs, unless the parties to the relevant
contract explicitly agree otherwise, all employment contracts of foreign players and coaches withclubs affiliated to the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) will be deemed automaticallysuspended until the end of the season in Ukraine (30 June 2022), without the need for any action
from the parties to this effect.
In order to facilitate the departure of foreign players and coaches from Russia, in the event thatclubs affiliated to the Football Union of Russia (FUR) do not reach a mutual agreement with theirrespective foreign players and coaches before or on 10 March 2022 and unless otherwise agreed inwriting, the foreign players and coaches will have the right to unilaterally suspend theiremployment contracts with the FUR-affiliated clubs in question until the end of the season in Russia(30 June 2022).
The suspension of a contract as per the paragraphs above will mean that players and coaches will
be considered “out of contract” until 30 June 2022 and will therefore be at liberty to sign acontract with another club without facing consequences of any kind.
Additional Flexibility
Furthermore, in order to provide flexibility to players whose registration was with the UAF or the
FUR and who have left or may be intending to leave the territory of Ukraine or Russia as aconsequence of the war in Ukraine, foreign players whose previous registration was with the UAF
or the FUR will be allowed to be registered even if the registration period is closed at theassociation of the club with which they conclude a new contract. In order for this exception to be
applicable and to protect the integrity of competitions, the registration with the new club needs tooccur before or on 7 April 2022. To further protect the integrity of competitions, clubs are entitled
to register a maximum of two players who have benefited from the exception.
Protection of players
In relation to the protection of minors, minors fleeing from Ukraine to other countries due to thearmed conflict will be deemed to fulfil the requirements of article 19 paragraph 2 d) of the RSTP,
which exempts refugee minors from the rule preventing the international transfer of players before
the age of 18. FIFA would like to reiterate its condemnation of the ongoing use of force by Russia
in Ukraine and calls for a rapid cessation of hostilities and for a return to peace.
On 16 March 2022 FIFA published the following press release60:

60

Available on https://www.fifa.com/legal/media-releases/fifa-adapts-temporary-rules-to-provide-clarificationregarding-the-movement (last visited on 23 June 2022).
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FIFA adapts temporary rules to provide clarification regarding the movement of Ukrainian players

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, FIFA has been closely monitoring the situation in order toremain in the best possible position to assist Ukrainian clubs and players in any way, including byadopting temporary amendments to its regulations.
On 7 March 2022, the Bureau of the FIFA Council decided to temporarily amend the Regulations
on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) to provide urgent legal certainty and clarity on anumber of regulatory matters, and an Interpretative Note was enclosed with circular no. 1787 toprovide appropriate guidance to member associations and their stakeholders.
The recent developments in Ukraine have led to a need for further clarification concerning theregistration of players of Ukrainian nationality with clubs affiliated to other member associations.
Accordingly, the Bureau of the Council has today decided to amend Annexe 7 of the RSTP toprovide Ukrainian players with the opportunity to be registered, should they be allowed to leave thecountry in accordance with current rules on the cross-border movement of Ukrainian nationals.
Therefore, Annexe 7 now clearly explains that Ukrainian players may be allowed to be registeredwith another club even if that registration period is closed in the association of the club with which
they intend to be registered.
In addition, the new amendments clarify that clubs are entitled to register a maximum of two
professional players who have benefited from the exceptions provided in Annexe 7. The Interpretive
Note to Annexe 7 has also been amended where relevant to provide clarity and precision on theselatest amendments.
FIFA will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine closely to ensure that the regulatory
framework reflects any developments.
It also continues to condemn the ongoing use of force by Russia in Ukraine and calls for a rapid
cessation of hostilities and for a return to peace.
On 22 June 2022 FIFA published the following press release61:
FIFA extends temporary employment rules to address issues relating to war in Ukraine

he Bureau of the FIFA Council has decided to extend the temporary employment rules establishedin the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) with the aim of effectively assisting
players, clubs and coaches impacted by the war in Ukraine.
The decision follows the RSTP amendments approved by the Bureau of the Council on 7 March2022 and 16 March 2022, which provided urgent legal certainty and clarity on a number ofimportant regulatory matters.

61

Available on https://www.fifa.com/legal/media-releases/fifa-adapts-temporary-rules-to-provide-clarificationregarding-the-movement (last visited on 23 June 2022).
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Under the RSTP provisions approved by the Bureau of the Council, should clubs affiliated to the
Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) or the Football Union of Russia (FUR) not reach amutual agreement with their respective foreign players and coaches before or on 30 June 2022, andunless otherwise agreed in writing, these players and coaches will have the right to suspend theiremployment contracts with their clubs until 30 June 2023.
These provisions give players and coaches the opportunity to train, play and receive a salary, while
protecting Ukrainian clubs and facilitating the departure of foreign players and coaches from
Russia.
Additionally, in relation to the protection of minors, it has been clarified that minors fleeing
Ukraine to other countries with their parents due to the armed conflict will be considered to havefulfilled the requirements of article 19 paragraph 2 a) of the RSTP, exempting them from the rule
preventing the international transfer of players before the age of 18.
FIFA will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine closely to ensure that the regulatory
framework is adapted according to any new developments. FIFA also continues to condemn theongoing use of force by Russia in Ukraine and calls for a rapid cessation of the war and a return topeace.

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FORMULA 1 – FIA

Overview
The FIA has instigated a ban on competitions held in Russia and Belarus.
No Russian/Belarusian national teams to participate in international/zone competitions (e.g. FIA
Motorsport Games), until further notice.
Individual drivers from Russia or Belarus can still compete, but only in neutral capacity under the
FIA flag, subject to specific commitment and adherence to the FIA's principles of peace andpolitical neutrality.
There is a prohibition of both countries’ flags and anthems in international/zone competitions until
further notice.
On 2 March 2022, FIA terminated its contract with Russian Grand Prix promoter62 and, as aconsequence, there will be no F1 Grand Prix in the future.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 1 March 2022 the FIA issued the following press release63:

FIA Announces World Motor Sport Council Decisions in relation to the situation in Ukraine

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem today chaired an extraordinary meeting of the World
Motor Sport Council (WMSC) to address matters relating to the ongoing situation in Ukraine.
In his opening remarks to the meeting, the FIA President said: “As you know, the FIA is watching
the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and I hope for a swift and peaceful resolution
to the present situation. We condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and our thoughts are with all
those suffering as a result of the events in Ukraine. I would like to stress that the FIA, together with
our promoters, proactively acted on this matter last week and communicated accordingly on the
Formula 1, Formula 2, WTCR and the Intercontinental Drifting Cup. An updated version of thedifferent FIA International Calendars will be presented to the WMSC meeting in Bahrain for
approval.”
In accordance with the International Olympic Committee recommendations, Council members
approved the following decisions to be implemented with immediate effect:
Competitions organized on the territory of Russia and Belarus
62

Available on https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-terminates-contract-with-russian-grand-prixpromoter.5geFNbONEePwRCSQj25Xg3.html (last visited on 23 June 2022).
63
Available on https://www.fia.com/news/fia-announces-world-motor-sport-council-decisions-relation-situationukraine (last visited on 23 June 2022).
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-

No international/zone competition to take place in Russia and Belarus, until further
noticeNo flag/symbol or anthem of Russia/Belarus to be used in international/zone
competitions, until further notice

Drivers, competitors and officials--

No Russian/Belarusian national teams to participate in international/zone
competitions (e.g. FIA Motorsport Games), until further notice
Russian/Belarusian drivers, individual competitors and officials to participate ininternational/zone competitions only in their neutral capacity and under the “FIAflag”, subject to specific commitment and adherence to the FIA’s principles of peace
and political neutrality, until further notice
No Russian/Belarusian national symbols, colours, flags (uniform, equipment andcar)- should be displayed or anthems should be played at international/zone
competitions, until further notice

FIA Elected officers/Commissions’ members-

Representatives from Russian/Belarusian FIA Members to step aside temporarily
from their roles and responsibilities of elected officers/commissions’ members *-No FIA grant to be awarded to the Russian/Belarusian FIA Members, until further
noticeNo existing FIA grant funding will be paid to the Russian/Belarusian FIA Members*

FIA grants-* Subject to the approval of the World Council for Automobile Mobility and Tourism
FIA International Sporting Calendar
Upon proposal of the F1 Commercial Rights Holder, cancellation of the 2022 Russian F1 GrandPrix for reason of Force Majeure.
The FIA President added: “I want to thank the Council members for their prompt action in
deciding these measures in the interests of sport and peace. We stand in solidarity with Leonid
Kostyuchenko, the President of the Federation Automobile d’Ukraine (FAU) and the wider FIA
family in the country. The measures taken today recognise the authority of the FAU in Ukraine andare also aligned with the recommendations recently made by the International Olympic Committee.
We are in active discussions with our members as we continue to extend our compassion andsupport in their time of need. We sincerely hope for a peaceful resolution to their intolerable
hardship.”76

HANDBALL - IHF – EHF

Overview64“Handball in its essence as a team sports is in a specific situation: on the one hand ,the International
Handball Federation (IHF) has the right and responsibility to issue a decision for the sport
worldwide, and, on the other hand, handball is a sport very much dominated by European activities
on a national team and at club level. As a consequence, the harmonisation of decisions plays animportant role in respect to the rundown and the effectiveness.
According to the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the IHF
suspended the activities of Russia and Belarus (Full version). Prior to that, the International
Handball Federation coordinated with the European Handball Federation (EHF) the procedures tobe followed on a continental level based on the relevant timetable of men’s and women’s national
teams qualification stages and the knockout phases of the club competitions.” – Michael Wiederer,
EHF President.
In this respect, and in the view of the development of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, theEuropean Handball Federation, via its Executive Committee, with regard to the decision making,has chronologically adopted the following approach in order to guarantee the integrity of thecompetitions.
On 18 February 2022, the EHF informed its stakeholders on its close cooperation with clubs and therelevant authorities, regarding the safe organisation of matches to be played in Ukraine or close to
the border with Russia, and that further decisions might be coming in this regard (Official
Statement).
On 22 February 2022, the EHF, always with the objective of ensuring the smooth running of thematches but with the safety of the teams, players and officials as a highest priority, endeavoured torelocate the matches to be played by the teams located in a high-risk area (Official Statement).
On 23 February 2022, the EHF published a follow-up on the Ukraine/Russia situation andintroduced the discussion with regard to its sponsor Nord Stream 2. (Full version).
On 25 February 2022, the EHF Executive Committee decided to officially relocate all matches
intended to be played in Ukrainian and Russian at neutral venues, until further notice. (Official
Statement).
On the same day, the EHF and its marketing daughter company the EHF Marketing GmbH,released the clubs of the EHF Champions League Men of the obligation to implement the presenceof the competition’s official partner, i.e. Nord Stream 2 (Official Statement). Furthermore, the EHF
took the decision not to prolong the sponsorship with Nord Stream 2.
On 26 February 2022, the EHF communicated to its stakeholders on upcoming decisions regarding
EHF Champions League as well as EHF European League following the report of difficulties tocontinue to participate in EHF competitions (Official Statement).

64

This overview has been kindly provided by Sophia Touiker, EHF Legal Management, in-house Lawyer.
77

On 27 February 2022, the EHF released an official statement informing its handling in a separate
procedure, the consequences linked to the impossibility to play matches due to the factual situationin Russia and Ukraine (Official Statement).
On 28 February 2022, the EHF released an official statement with regard to the decision of theRussian government to invade Ukraine. The EHF called for an extraordinary congress of its
Executive Committee in order to evaluate the necessity for further decisions (Official Statement).
On the same day, the EHF informed on the decision of its Executive Committee to suspend until
further notice Russian and Belarussian from participating in all EHF activities (Official Statement).
On 4 March 2022, the EHF published an overview of the structures of the EHF competitions as they
were impacted by the publication of the decision of the EHF Executive Committee taken earlier on
28 February 2022.
In June 2022, the EXEC confirmed further procedures regarding the upcoming system of the2022/23 season.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 18 February 2022, the EHF published the following statement: 65
STATEMENT ON HANDBALL MATCHES IN AND AROUND THE UKRAINE
As over the next days and weeks a number of European club and national team handball matches
are scheduled to take place in Ukraine as well as within closer proximity to the Ukraine border andgiven the current overall situation in the region, the European Handball Federation issues thefollowing statement:
For all those matches, the European Handball Federation is in close contact with the clubs andfederations in question. Information and advice from the relevant authorities is being sought and thedevelopment of the situation is constantly being monitored.
As the monitoring over the past days has shown, the situation is constantly evolving with changes
and interpretations of the overall situation happening regularly.
With this in mind and with the health and safety of the players and officials as well as the integrityof its competitions being the highest priority, the European Handball Federation assesses thesituation for each match individually and bases any eventual decision on the information available.
Following this approach, the EHF Champions League Men match, HC Motor Zaporozhye vs ParisSaint-Germain Handball, initially scheduled for 17 February, was postponed earlier this week.
The EHF European Cup Women match, Galychanka Lviv vs H71 scheduled for 13 February, wasalso postponed with the further handling coordinated by the EHF.
65

Available on https://www.eurohandball.com/en/news/en/statement-on-handball-matches-in-and-around-the-ukraine/(last visited on 1 July 2022).
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Furthermore, the upcoming EHF European Cup Men match, SKIF Krasnodar vs Drammen HK on
19 February, will not be played as scheduled.
Decisions for forthcoming matches in handball competitions governed by the European Handball
Federations will be made in the same way and the decisions taken will subsequently be
communicated to all stakeholders.
On 7 March 2022 the IHF published the following statement:66
DECISION OF THE IHF REGARDING THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE AND RUSSIA
The International Handball Federation (IHF) strongly condemns the actions taken by Russia in its
invasion of Ukraine and would like to convey their support and solidarity to everyone who isaffected by this war situation.
The invasion of Ukraine represents a breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian government, witha corresponding United Nations (UN) resolution having been signed on 2 December 2021 byconsensus of all 193 UN Member States. This breach is not acceptable and, therefore, the IHF
Council decided the following:With immediate effect and until further notice, the IHF bans all teams, officials, referees, lecturers
and experts from Russia and Belarus from taking part in IHF events and activities.
As a consequence, Russia will not take part in the 2022 IHF Women’s Junior (U20) and Youth(U18) World Championships as well as the 2022 IHF Men’s Beach Handball World Championshipthis summer, for which they had already qualified.
This decision corresponds with the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)and validates the decision taken by the European Handball Federation (EHF) to suspend the“national teams of Russia and Belarus as well as Russian and Belarusian clubs competing inEuropean handball competitions” and not nominate Russian and Belarusian referees, officials,
lecturers and commission members, expanding it to a global level.
Further details regarding the implementation will follow in due course.
The IHF strongly believes in “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic
ideal”, with the promotion of peace through sports being a main topic in the UN resolution.
The IHF hopes for a return to peace and calls for the involved parties to stop the military action topreserve the life of their citizens, also wishing that a return to a normal situation will be possible sothat all players can at some point get back to action on the handball courts.
On 22 February 2022, the EHF published this statement:67
IMPACT OF THE UKRAINE/RUSSIA SITUATION ON EUROPEAN HANDBALL

66

Available on https://www.ihf.info/media-center/news/decision-ihf-regarding-situation-ukraine-and-russia (last visitedon 1 July 2022).
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Available on https://www.eurohandball.com/en/news/en/impact-of-the-ukraine-russia-situation-on-europeanhandball/ (last visited on 1 July 2022).
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The current situation between Ukraine and Russia has an impact on upcoming matches organised
under the umbrella of the EHF, as several European men’s and women’s top handball clubs andnational teams are located in the region.
“The European Handball Federation always aims to safeguard the integrity of its competitions andis of the opinion that the best option is a decision on court,” says EHF President Michael Wiederer.
“At the same time, the safety of teams, players and officials is of highest priority.”
Given that several competitions have reached the knockout stages and therefore with time also
playing a role, the EHF has taken the following decisions, looking at the next four weeks.
The European Handball Federation currently sees no option to have matches played in Ukraine.
In the EHF Champions League Men, in which 11 out of 14 rounds in the group phase have been
played, the group B matches HC Motor vs Paris Saint-Germain Handball, initially scheduled for 17
February, and HC Motor vs Barça, scheduled for 3 March, are planned to be played on neutral
ground.
On 1 March, HC Motor will face PSG Handball in Prešov, Slovakia. The match against Barça willremain scheduled for 3 March and is planned to be also held in Prešov.
The upcoming Women’s EHF EURO 2022 Qualifiers matches between Czech Republic andUkraine, currently scheduled for 2 and 5 March, is planned to be played as a double-header on 4
and 5 March in the Czech Republic.
The further organisation of the Men’s World Championship 2023 Phase 1 Play-Offs between
Finland and Ukraine, with the matches scheduled for 16 and 20 March, will be handled by theEuropean Handball Federation together with the federations of Finland and Ukraine.
Over the past 10 days, two matches were not played as scheduled. This concerns the EHF European
Cup Women match, HC Galychanka Lviv (UKR) vs H71 (FAR), which was scheduled for 13
February, and the match Skif Krasnodar (RUS) vs Drammen HK (NOR), scheduled for 19
February.
For the further handling of both matches, legal procedures have been opened by the European
Handball Federation.
Subsequently for the case of the match Skif Krasnodar vs Drammen HK, only the “winner of” thistie has been drawn on Tuesday’s EHF European Cup Men quarter-final draw.
The EHF continues to monitor the situation between Ukraine and Russia from a European handballperspective and will issue updates on the matches mentioned as well as on future matches whenevernecessary.
On 23 February 2022, the EHF published the following statement:68
FOLLOW-UP ON THE UKRAINE/RUSSIA SITUATION AND EUROPEAN HANDBALL

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Available on https://www.eurohandball.com/en/news/en/follow-up-on-the-ukraine-russia-situation-and-europeanhandball/ (last visited on 1 July 2022).
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On Tuesday, the European Handball Federation issued a statement outlining the organisation ofclub and national team matches which are affected by the current conflict between the Ukraine andRussia.
There is constant communication with all stakeholder groups, namely the clubs and the national
federations, as the EHF continues to monitor the developments also because decisions on the levelof sport and business need to be made.
“We aim to keep the sport as much as possible away from the political developments,” says EHF
President Michael Wiederer.
“The athletes, no matter where they are coming from, and everyone, who is involved in our
activities, deserve that their competitions are organised in the best possible way.
“At the same time, the sport of handball is dependent on political decisions and those made by therespective authorities. This related to the most recent pandemic as it relates now to current questionsof safety and security.”
The European Handball Federation and its 50 member federations have managed several major
crises in the past, and in all challenges a close cooperation was put in place in the best possible way,taking into consideration the situation of everyone involved. This also applies to partnerships on thebusiness level.
The current topic of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is one that touches questions which need to besolved on the political and economic level.
A sponsoring agreement is in place with the Swiss-based company, Nord Stream 2 AG, as official
partner of the EHF Champions League Men, which was brokered by EHF Marketing, the marketingarm of the European Handball Federation.
The implementation of the agreement in 13 European countries is coordinated with all parties
involved, and the partnership between Nord Stream 2 and the EHF Champions League Men has
been reliable since its introduction in 2018.
There is a constant communication between the partners, as there is an impact on the rundown andorganisation of the competition which the EHF has to manage.
The European Handball Federation has no direct contract with Nord Stream 2. However, thefederation will continue to monitor the development of the situation to evaluate and coordinate any
future steps.
“We hope that some principles of our sport can also serve as example in the current crisis,” says
Michael Wiederer.
“In handball every situation is solved in the spirit of fair play directly between the protagonists. The
EHF hopes that despite the critical situation solutions via dialogues can be found to resolve thecurrent conflict in the interest of the people concerned, and from our side the many protagonists
being part of the world of handball.”On 25 February 2022, the EHF published the following media release: 69
DECISION OF THE EHF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
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June 2022).
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In the light of the situation in Ukraine, the Executive Committee of the European Handball
Federation has taken the following decisions on Friday.
For competitions organised by the European Handball Federation, national teams and clubs from
Russia and Ukraine will be required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further
notice.
In order to protect the integrity of the competition and to ensure the safety of the participatingteams, players and officials, the Women’s EHF EURO 2022 Qualifiers between Poland and Russia,
scheduled for 3 and 6 March, will be postponed.
The Women’s EHF EURO 2022 Qualifiers between Czech Republic and Ukraine, scheduled for 4
and 5 March, will be postponed as well.
The Men’s World Championship Phase 1 Play-offs between Finland and Ukraine, scheduled for 16
and 20 March, will be played as a double header in Finland.
While the EHF remains of the opinion that the best option is that matches are decided in a sportive
contest on the handball court, it continues to closely monitor the development of the situation toevaluate the possible necessity for further decisions.
On the same day, the EHF published the following decision: 70
DECISION ON THE PRESENCE OF NORD STREAM 2 IN THE EHF CL
The European Handball Federation and its marketing arm, EHF Marketing GmbH, have released
the clubs of the EHF Champions League Men of the obligation to implement the presence of thecompetition’s official partner, Nord Stream 2, as of today (25 February).
This relates among others to the presence of Nord Stream 2 on LED boards, floor stickers, cube
spots and on the teams’ sleeve badge during EHF Champions League Men matches.
Nord Stream 2 is a reliable partner of the EHF Champions League Men since the 2018/19 season.
The decision was taken on Friday in close coordination and cooperation with the Nord Stream 2 AG
in the light of current developments in the situation between Russia and Ukraine.
EHF Marketing together with its media & marketing partners, Infront and DAZN Group, will adapt
the advertising setup in the EHF Champions League Men accordingly and until further notice andwill inform all participating clubs.
On 26 February 2022, the EHF published the following communication: 71
UPCOMING EHF CL AND EHF EL MATCHES

70

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71
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The EHF Champions League Men club of HC Motor (UKR) has informed the European Handball
Federation on Saturday that because of the current situation in Ukraine it is impossible for the teamto travel to its upcoming EHF CL matches.
This relates to HC Motor’s match against Paris Saint-Germain Handball, scheduled for 1 March in
Prešov (SVK), the match against Barça, scheduled for 3 March in Prešov, and the away matchagainst FC Porto on 10 March.
Also on Saturday, the EHF European League Men club of HBC Nantes (FRA) informed the EHF
that based on the current situation in Ukraine the club cannot host its home match against theRussian club of Chekhovskie medvedi, which has been scheduled for 1 March.
Following the two clubs’ information, the European Handball Federation has decided that the four
matches concerned will not be played as scheduled.
The further handling of those matches as well as its consequences will be dealt with by theEuropean Handball Federation in a separate procedure.
On 27 February 2022, the EHF released this official statement: 72
DECISION ON UPCOMING MATCHES IN THE EHF CL AND 2022 QUALIFIERS
The European Handball Federation has released the following decision on Sunday, as the current
situation and its developments do not make possible to play the following matches:The EHF Champions League Men match between HC Meshkov Brest (BLR) and HC
Vardar 1961 (MKD), initially scheduled for 2 March 2022 in Brest.
The Women’s EHF EURO 2022 Qualifiers double header between Greece and Belarus,
initially scheduled for 2 March in Chalkida, Greece and for 6 March in Minsk, Belarus.

All three matches will therefore not be played as scheduled.
The European Handball Federation will deal with the further handling of those matches and theconsequences in a separate procedure.
It continues to closely monitor the development of the situation to evaluate the possible necessity
for further decisions.
On 28 February 2022, the EHF released this official statement: 73
STATEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN HANDBALL FEDERATIONThe European Handball Federation releases the following statement:
The European Handball Federation underlines that there is no acceptance nor understanding for theRussian invasion of Ukraine. This also extends to all parties being actively involved in or
supporting such an act of violence.
72

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As several handball competitions organised by the European Handball Federation have reacheddecisive marks in the season calendar, solutions had to be found for the national team and clubmatches which were impacted by the current situation.
It was therefore announced that matches with the participation of Russian and Belarusian teams will
not be played as scheduled this week. This refers to matches in the EHF Champions League Men,the EHF European League Men and the Women’s EHF EURO 2022 Qualifiers.
Matches involving teams from Ukraine were also suspended in the light of the situation and fororganisational reasons.
For further steps, the European Handball Federation also depends on public information, and theEHF is in the active process of gathering this information from i.e. European governmental
institutions and the International Olympic Committee.
Beyond this, the EHF currently establishes coordination platforms with the Association of European
Team Sports.
Based on the information gathered, the EHF calls for an extraordinary meeting of its Executive
Committee on Monday night to evaluate the necessity for further decisions.
Topics of the meeting will include the situation of Russian and Belarusian teams in European
handball competitions on the club and national team level based on the latest info from the IOC,
including the Men’s World Championship 2023 Play-offs, the Women’s EHF EURO 2022 and the
Men’s EHF EURO 2024 Qualifiers.
Contact with the International Handball Federation has been sought as potential suspensions andtheir consequences would have effects on competitions organised by the IHF.
On the same day, the EHF informed about the following: 74
DECISIONS OF THE EHF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEWith a view on the war situation in Ukraine and with reference to the recent recommendations of
the International Olympic Committee, the Executive Committee of the European Handball
Federation convened on Monday night for an extraordinary meeting.
The EXEC’s 13 members discussed the inputs received from National Federations as well as fromthe International Olympic Committee and the European Team Sports Association in the light of theRussian invasion of Ukraine.
The following decisions were taken
1. With immediate effect, the national teams of Russia and Belarus as well as Russian andBelarusian clubs competing in European handball competitions are suspended. This holds
true until further notice and relates to all current competitions on the club and national teamlevel.

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July 2022).
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2. Referees and officials from Russia and Belarus will not be nominated for future matches
until further notice. Lecturers and commission members from Russia and Belarus will not becalled upon for future meetings and activities.
3. New organisers will be sought for the YAC 16 EHF Beach Handball EURO and the
Qualifier Tournaments for the Beach Handball EURO 2023. Both events were scheduled tobe held in Moscow in July 2022.
These measures had to be introduced with immediate effect as the war in Ukraine continues to rage,
jeopardising the EHF’s principles of cooperation on European Level and the spirit of fairness.
The European Handball Federation regrets the consequences for individuals, clubs and national
teams and hopes that a return of peace will allow for renewed considerations.
Within the next days, a restructuring of the various competitions on the club and national team level
will take place following sports principles and existing regulations.

85

GYMNASTICS – FIG

Overview
Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials, including judges, are not allowed to take part in FIG
competitions or FIG-sanctioned competitions from 7 March 2022 until further notice.
All events in Russia and Belarus sanctioned by International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) will be
removed and no further events will be awarded to either country.
Russian and Belarusian flags and anthems will not be used at FIG events.
It is particular important to underline that the FIG updated its own Code of Conduct prohibiting any
type of demonstration or the use of political, religious and racial propaganda in tournaments."
This followed the incident involving Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak during the FIG Apparatus World
Cup in Doha in March 2022. Kuliak wore the letter "Z", a symbol associated with Russia’s military
operation, on his singlet during the competition and also during the medal ceremony for the parallel
bars, a competition won by Ukrainian Ilia Kovtun. At the time, a FIG statement described Kuliak’s
action as "shocking behaviour". Eventually, the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF) banned
Kuliak for a year as punishment for the incident.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that a “Special Aid for Ukraine” Fund managed by the Foundationfor Solidarity has been set up to financially support the Ukrainian federation and their FIG-licensed
athletes.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 26 February 2022 the FIG issued the following press release75.

FIG decision regarding the conflict in Europe“During its meeting today, the Executive Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation(FIG) expressed its concern following the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and decided on thefollowing measures:
The Russian and Belarussian national flags must not be displayed, and the Russian and Belarussiananthems must not be played at any FIG-sanctioned events until further notice.
All FIG World Cup and World Challenge Cup events planned to take place in Russia and Belarus
are cancelled, and no other FIG events will be allocated to Russia or Belarus until further notice.
All FIG-sanctioned events planned to take place in Russia and Belarus are removed from the FIG
calendar and will no longer be recognised by the FIG. No other events taking place in Russia andBelarus will be sanctioned by the FIG until further notice.
75

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“As a sporting governing body, our first duty is to protect all our athletes, including to protect themfrom political pressure,” said FIG President Morinari Watanabe.
“Our thoughts go to the members of the Gymnastics community in Ukraine. Sport is friendship andsolidarity. We must show solidarity with the members of our family who are in despair and offer
them a helping hand to ensure their future.”
The FIG will ask the FIG Foundation for Solidarity to allocate special aid to support Ukrainian
athletes and other members of the Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation hit by the war”.
On 4 March 2022 the FIG issued the following press release76 :FIG adopts further measures against Russia and Belarus“Given the massive escalation of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, the Executive Committee(EC) of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) held an emergency meeting today to discuss
the necessity of adopting further emergency measures against Russia and Belarus, following thoseannounced on 26 February.
The EC took into account the latest recommendations from the International Olympic Committee(IOC), the stance of the FIG Athletes’ Commission and the deep concerns and positions expressedby many national Gymnastics federations, and decided that:
Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials, including judges, are not allowed to take part in FIG
competitions or FIG-sanctioned competitions from 7 March 2022 until further notice.
This means that athletes and officials from these two federations will not participate in the
Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan from 10 to 13 March 2022.
The FIG would like to stress that these exceptional and emergency measures are decided and issued
in view of the above-mentioned extraordinary circumstances. They constitute preventive measuresaiming at preserving the integrity of Gymnastics, the safety and integrity of members and allathletes and participants, and at fighting against all forms of violence and of sports injustice.
Russian and Belarusian nationals who are members of the FIG Executive Committee or of FIG
technical committees are not affected by this measure when acting in their capacity as FIG
Authorities.
The EC will continue to monitor the situation closely and may further adapt these exceptional
measures according to future developments”. (emphasis added)
On 28 March 2022 the FIG issued the following press release77 :Special aid for Ukraine

76

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Since Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, many members of the Gymnastics community
worldwide have spontaneously made generous offers to help our friends from Ukraine who havebeen hit by the war.
The FIG has consulted the Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation on how these various offers of help
can be coordinated in order to ensure the most efficient process and, above all, avoid creating
additional complications on top of the tragic situation they have been facing.
If you want to offer help or financial support and do not know how to proceed, here are somecontacts:
Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation
The Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation remains the main contact. National federations which wish
to offer logistical support or assistance can contact them directly at the following email addresses:
info@ugf.org.ua or ugf@ukraine-rg.com.ua
FIG Foundation for Solidarity
At the FIG level, a “special aid for Ukraine” fund managed by the Foundation for Solidarity has
been set up to financially support the Ukrainian federation and their FIG-licensed athletes.
National federations which would like to contribute to this special fund by making donations cancontact the FIG at the following email address: aidforukraine@fig.sport.
National Olympic Committee of Ukraine
The NOC of Ukraine’s President, the pole vault legend Sergii Bubka, has been tasked by theInternational Olympic Committee with coordinating the numerous humanitarian offers by the
Olympic Movement to the Ukrainian Olympic community. You can find more info here.
On 3 June 2022 the FIG published the following press release78:
The new Code of Conduct sets standards for positive change in Gymnastics
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has introduced a new Code of Conduct aimed atpromoting a positive culture based on fundamental principles of integrity, respect, honesty andfairness in the sport of Gymnastics.
This new version of the Code outlines the standards of behaviour expected of all those involved in
Gymnastics, and helps to draw a clear line between what is considered good practice and what is
not tolerable.
The Code lists general principles of integrity and respect to which everybody who takes part in
Gymnastics must commit, and also specific principles for athletes, coaches, judges, officials and the
managers of Gymnastics federations.
Its scope of application has also been broadened compared with the previous Code, to encompass
all aspects of training, competition, sporting operations and communication.
Code of Conduct

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FIG President Morinari Watanabe says of the new Code: “We cannot change years of bad practicein the sport overnight. While in some parts of the world, new generations of practitioners, coaches
and executives developed approaches based on respect and wellbeing, abusive training methods
still prevail in some places, with the strong conviction that it is part of the path to success. Thatcannot prevent us as the governing body from setting up standards applicable everywhere, and by
so doing, reminding everyone that they have rights, duties and responsibilities.”
Clear rules for the Gymnastics community
Since 2018, the FIG has been strengthening its rules and policies regarding youth protection, andfighting against abuse of all kinds. The biggest step was made in 2019 with the establishment of the
Gymnastics Ethics Foundation, one section of which is dedicated to safeguarding.
At the same time, the FIG has been working on an overhaul of its main rules in order to set up a
simpler and more relevant legal framework suiting the needs and expectations of the Gymnastics
community.
This legal framework is mainly made of:
the FIG Statutes, which are the “Constitution” of the Gymnastics governing bodythe Code of Ethics, which sets the core ethical values
the Code of Conduct, which sets restricted or forbidden behaviours based on these ethical values
the Code of Discipline, which defines proceedings in case of infringement and refers to the
sanctions set in the Statutes.
Having clear rules regarding behaviours was one of two commitments made by the FIG at theconclusion of the e-conference on safeguarding held in October 2020.
The revision of the Code of Conduct was primarily conducted by members of the Gymnastics
community, and especially the 15 athletes – active and retired – who comprise the FIG
Safeguarding Working Group.
The Executive Committee approved the final document last week. It comes into force immediately”.

89

HOCKEY – FIH

Overview

No Russian, nor Belarusian officials will be considered for appointment at any FIH events for theforeseeable future.
Russia was banned from the FIH Hockey Women's Junior World Cup which took place between
April 1 to 12 in South Africa.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 27 February 2022 the FIH issued the following press release79:

FIH expresses solidarity with the hockey community in Ukraine
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is deeply concerned about the safety of the members of
Ukraine’s hockey community and ensures all of them of its full solidarity at this terrible time.
FIH is in regular contact with the Hockey Association of Ukraine and is doing its utmost to offer
any support it can, in the hope that the Ukrainian team will be able to participate in the upcoming
FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup scheduled from 1 to 12 April in Potchefstroom, South
Africa, for which it qualified.

On 1 March 2022 the FIH issued the following press release.
Russia excluded from upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup“Following yesterday’s recommendation by the IOC to avoid the participation of Russian athletes
and officials in international competitions - in order to protect the integrity of global sports
competitions and for the safety of all participants – the Executive Board (EB) of the International
Hockey Federation (FIH) has taken the decision to exclude Russia from the upcoming FIH Hockey
Women’s Junior World Cup scheduled from 1 to 12 April in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Earlier this week, FIH had expressed its full solidarity to the members of Ukraine’s hockey
community at this terrible time.
FIH is in regular contact with the Hockey Association of Ukraine and is doing its utmost to offer
any support it can, in the hope that the Ukrainian team will be able to participate in the upcoming
FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup.
FIH expresses its strong hope for a peaceful resolution rapidly”. (emphasis added)
79

Available on https://www.fih.hockey/events/junior-world-cup/women/fih-hockey-womens-junior-world-cup-20211301/news/fih-expresses-solidarity-with-the-hockey-community-in-ukraine (last visited on 23 June 2022).
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On 17 March 2022 the FIH issued the following press release80:
FIH reiterates full support to Ukraine’s hockey community“Meeting today virtually for the second time of the year, the Executive Board (EB) of theInternational Hockey Federation (FIH) received reports on the preparation status of the upcoming
FIH events, including the next one, namely the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup South
Africa 2021, which will start on 1 April at the North-West University of Potchefstroom, the venue
which
last
month
hosted14
FIH
HockeyPro
Leaguematches.
FIH has been in regular contact with the Hockey Association of Ukraine to offer any support it canto the Ukrainian team, whose participation in the upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World
Cup is not confirmed at this stage. Furthermore, FIH has extended its appreciation and thanks to
the Hockey Associations of Poland and the Netherlands for the support they’ve been providing to
Ukrainian hockey.
The EB has expressed again its full solidarity with the Ukrainian hockey community at this awfultimeandreiterated
its
stronghope
forapeaceful
resolution
rapidly.
On 1 March, following the recommendation by the IOC to avoid the participation of Russian
athletes and officials in international competitions - in order to protect the integrity of global sports
competitions and for the safety of all participants – the EB had excluded Russia from this event.
Also, no Russian, nor Belarusian officials will be considered for appointment at any FIH events forthe foreseeable future.
The FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022 will celebrate its “100 days togo” milestone next week, on 23 March. On this occasion, the name of the event’s mascot – aschosen by the fans – will be revealed!
The EB has approved to launch a global Penalty Corner consultation project, to gather input fromacross the hockey world on how we can maintain the excitement and spectacle of the penalty cornerset piece, whilst reducing the potential danger for defenders and the need for a large amount ofprotective equipment to be worn. This consultation project could lead to trials of new rules, but nopermanent rule change will be implemented until at least after the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
FIH EB Member and Oceania Hockey Federation President Clare Prideaux, Chair of the
Sustainability Task Force, gave an update on the works of the Task Force which was created lastyear in order to help FIH shape the future sustainability strategy of hockey around the world. The
Task Force includes representatives from Continental Federations, athletes, officials and event
organisers as well as external experts. The FIH Sustainability Strategy, which is being built aroundthe United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and includes the three main pillars of “People,
Planet and Prosperity” will be introduced at the next FIH Congress in November 2022”.

80

Available on https://www.fih.hockey/general/news/fih-reiterates-full-support-to-ukraine-s-hockey-community
visited on 23 June 2022).

(last
91

ICE HOCKEY – IIHF

Overview
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) suspended Russian and Belarusian internationaland club teams at every age group from competitions or events.
Russia will also be stripped of its right to host the World Junior Championship in 2023.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 25 February 2022 the FIH issued the following press release81:

Statement from the IIHF

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is saddened and deeply concerned by the recent
events in Ukraine. The IIHF and its Council condemn the use of military force and urge the use of
diplomatic means to solve conflicts. Our thoughts are with the people in Ukraine and the Ukrainian
ice hockey family.
As the IIHF has a duty of care to all its Championship participants, the IIHF Council is reviewing
and considering the implications of this conflict on our events. A Council meeting has been calledfor Monday late afternoon on 28 February.
On 28 February 2022 the FIH issued the following press release82:
IIHF Council takes definitive action over Russia, Belarus
During an extra-ordinary meeting held on Monday, 28 February, the IIHF Council evaluated theimpact of the current war. The IIHF strongly condemns the use of military force and urges the useof diplomatic means to solve conflict.
The IIHF Council has decided to take the following actions:-Suspension of all Russian and Belarusian National Teams and Clubs from participation in every
age category and in all IIHF competitions or events until further notice-Withdrawal of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship hosting rights from Russia
These two actions have been initiated by the Council in order to enable the IIHF to ensure thesafety of IIHF Championships and all participating players, officials, and fans.

81

Available on https://www.iihf.com/en/news/32285/statement_from_the_iihf (last visited on 23 June 2022).
Available on https://www.iihf.com/en/news/32301/iihf_council_announces_decisions_over_russia_belar (last visitedon 23 June 2022).
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92

Under the current conditions, this decision would have an impact on the following events:
2022 IIHF Continental Cup (4-6 March 2022)-Belarus club team HK Gomel would not participate
2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship (21 April-01 May 2022)-Russia and Belarus men’s U18 teams would not participate
2022 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship (13-29 May 2022)-ROC and Belarus men’s national teams would not participate
2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship (Dates TBD)
-Russia women’s U18 national team would not participate
2022 IIHF World Junior Championship (Dates TBD)
-Russia men’s U20 national team would not participate
2022 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship (26 August-4 September 2022)-ROC women’s national team would not participate
Any potential sportive impact of the Council decision on tournament seeding andpromotion/relegation will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship was scheduled to take place from 26 December 2022 to
5 January 2023. The IIHF will initiate discussions in the coming months to find a new host for the
event.
The decision to relocate the event was taken primarily out of concern for the health and well-beingof all participating players, officials, and fans. The IIHF Council also expressed deep concerns
over the safe freedom of movement of players and officials to, from, and within Russia. The IIHF
Council also took into account the Russian government’s breach of the Olympic Truce, which was
adopted in December 2021 as a UN resolution by United Nations General Assembly. The breach of
the Olympic Truce led to a condemnation by the International Olympic Committee’s Executive
Board last week.
The IIHF Council has not left out the possibility of further actions impacting future events or other
IIHF activities but hopes above all for a swift and peaceful resolution to the war.
“The IIHF is not a political entity and cannot influence the decisions being taken over the war in
Ukraine,” said IIHF President Luc Tardif. “We nevertheless have a duty of care to all of ourmembers and participants and must therefore do all we can to ensure that we are able to operate
our events in a safe environment for all teams taking part in the IIHF World Championshipprogram.”“We were incredibly shocked to see the images that have come out of Ukraine,” added Tardif. “Ihave been in close contact with members of the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine and we hope for
all Ukrainians that this conflict can be resolved in a peaceful way and without the need for further
violence.”93

On 24 March 2022 the FIH issued the following press release83:

IIHF Council refers cases to Ethics Board

During its last meeting the IIHF Council has decided to refer two cases to the independent IIHF
Ethics Board.
The purpose of the newly-created Ethics Board is to determine if the actions of an IIHF Member
National Association or an individual associated with the IIHF or its members could constitute an
ethical conduct violation. As such, none of the cases referred below automatically requiredisciplinary action. If the Ethics Board finds that a violation has occurred, the case is thensubsequently referred to
the IIHF Disciplinary Board for further review.
The IIHF Council has referred the Russian Ice Hockey Federation to the Ethics Board for review,
due to reports that the RIHF allegedly sent instructions to Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) teams
to take demonstrative actions in support of the Russia-Ukraine war. As such an action would
constitute a violation of the IIHF Ethics Code, the Ethics Board will investigate further anddetermine whether this case will be referred to the IIHF Disciplinary Board.
The IIHF Council also decided to refer IIHF Life President René Fasel to the Ethics Board forreview, following reports of his involvement with Russia and the KHL as well as public statements
made about the war.
The IIHF has referred this matter to the independent Ethics Board in order to determine whether
Fasel’s actions have violated the IIHF Integrity Book. The IIHF Ethics Code, which is an integral
part of the IIHF Integrity Book, requires “[a Life President to] conduct themselves in accordancewith the principles of dignity, integrity, loyalty and responsibility in all relations of a competitive,
economic, social (including social media) and moral nature.” The IIHF Integrity Book isapplicable specifically when a Life President is acting within the scope of his duties for the IIHF or
whenever his conduct reflects upon the IIHF or might otherwise undermine the objectives of the
IIHF.
The Ethics Board will subsequently decide whether to refer these cases to the IIHF Disciplinary
Board for further review. Currently, no disciplinary action has been brought against the IIHF Life
President or the Russian Ice Hockey Federation.

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JUDO – IJF

Overview

Early in March 2022 the International Judo Federation has removed Vladimir Putin and oligarch
Arkady Rotenberg from their positions in the governing body.
Immediately after that, tthe Russian Judo Federation and the Belarussian Judo Federation decided
that it is in their best interests and in the best interests of their athletes, for reasons of both logistics
and safety, that for the foreseeable future they withdraw from all international events. There will be
no Russian or Belarussian athletes participating in IJF and EJU events, with immediate effect”.
The International Judo Federation decided to allow Russian and Belorussian athletes to participate
in IJF competitions only under the IJF Flag, anthem and colours, as neutral athletes, respecting all
the requirements of neutrality.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 2 March 2022 the International Judo Federation issued the following press release84:
Statement of the International Judo Federation“Last week, following the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the International Judo Federation
sanctioned the Russian Judo Federation by cancelling the Kazan Grand Slam, 20-22 May 2022. Further tothat, the International Judo Federation now cancels all judo competitions on the territory of the RussianFederation.
As sporting events and sport itself promote peace and solidarity worldwide, we consider that those athletes
who participate in international sporting events are promoting peace and international solidarity.
On this basis, the global decision to sanction all Russian athletes, regardless of the different opinions many
have expressed, is not considered to be justified.
Any radical decision to obstruct the participation of athletes in sporting competitions would only continue
the escalation of violence and nurture the feeling of injustice for those athletes who did not participate in any
decision regarding the conflict. We cannot condemn the athletes for what is happening.
Therefore, in line with the Olympic Charter and its fundamental principles, as the IJF did in the past duringother difficult conflicts between certain states and nations, we will provide the Russian athletes with theopportunity to participate in IJF events only under the IJF flag, logo and anthem.
Therefore, we can continue to guide all judo athletes from Russia in an appropriate direction and keep them
far from any possibility to choose a path against their moral principles, taking into consideration the combat
profile of our sport as well as its values.
We encourage Russian athletes to pursue a dialogue with their judoka friends worldwide, to travel and topromote, at home and away, the Olympic values and the judo principles of mutual aid and prosperity”.
84

Available on https://www.ijf.org/news/show/official-announcement-of-the-international-judo-federation (last visitedon 23 June 2022).
95

On 6 March 2022 the International Judo Federation issued the following press release85:
Official announcement of the International Judo Federation“The International Judo Federation announces that Mr. Vladimir Putin and Mr. Arkady Rotenberg havebeen removed from all positions held in the International Judo Federation”.

On 14 March 2022 the International Judo Federation issued the following press release86:
Official information about IJF events“Following official communications received by the International Judo Federation, the Russian Judo
Federation and the Belarussian Judo Federation have decided that it is in their best interests and in the bestinterests of their athletes, for reasons of both logistics and safety, that for the foreseeable future they
withdraw from all international events. There will be no Russian or Belarussian athletes participating in IJF
and EJU events, with immediate effect”. (emphasis added)

On 10 June 2022 the International Judo Federation published the following statement 87:
Judo is the Sport for Peace, Unity and Friendship“The International Judo Federation announces that athletes from the Russian Judo Federation haveregistered for participation in the Ulanbataar Grand Slam 2022, as neutral IJF athletes.
In this context, the International Judo Federation stands by its decision to allow Russian and Belorussian
athletes to participate in IJF competitions only under the IJF Flag, anthem and colours, as neutral athletes,
respecting all the requirements of neutrality. This decision gives equal chances to all athletes, to rise above
discrimination, politics, conflicts or any other non-sport related matter. Sport is an important social tool, abridge for rebuilding communities and a better society, at world level.
At present, the world is struggling due to a conflict between two countries whose national judo federations
are both IJF members. The conflict is not created or fueled by sport. Athletes are not to be punished for
issues which are out of their control and, as Mr Thomas Bach, IOC President recently declared, "Everybody
who is supporting the war, can and should be sanctioned, but everybody who does not support the war, theirrights must be respected, under our own rules and the rules of international law; there is no sanction andthere should be no sanction for holding a passport."
The IJF President, Mr Marius Vizer, declared, “The sport of judo is a sport of education. It teaches values
such as respect, friendship, courage, mutual aid. Judo has always strived to avoid political interference or
any form of discrimination, against athletes or any other judo representatives. In our philosophy andcommunication, we often refer to ourselves, the global judo community, as the judo family and this is basedon the very principles that guide us: friendship and respect. Moreover, the International Judo Federation
has been running dedicated Judo for Peace programmes for many years, which we are using as a tool tobring communities together, to enhance dialogue and social cohesion in areas marked by different kinds ofconflict.”

85

Available on https://www.ijf.org/news/show/IJF-announcement-06032022 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
Available on https://www.ijf.org/news/show/official-information-ijf-events-14032022 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
87
Available on https://www.ijf.org/news/show/in-judo-there-is-no-place-for-politics-war-and-discrimination (lastvisited on 23 June 2022).
86

96

The IJF is aware of various governments’ conditions for certain national federations which are, at the
moment, banned from taking part in competitions where Russian or Belarussian athletes are present. The
IJF welcomed President Bach’s remarks during the ASOIF General Assembly 2022, which clarify thecorrect position that sports should take in today’s complicated political context, "How can you guarantee
then, in your sport, a fair international competition, if the governments are deciding according to their own
political interests, who can take part in a competition and who cannot take part? Then, if you open this gate,
today it is Russia and Belarus, tomorrow it is your country; there is no country in the world which is lovedby every other government. This is against all the principles we are standing for. If we leave this to thegovernments then we are becoming a political tool and we cannot guarantee any more fair competition. Ourtask is to realise that we have to get back to the day when we can unite the entire world in peacefulcompetition. This is not the day, but we can only hope that peace prevails."
We consider that athletes competing under the IJF flag, in a status of complete neutrality, are notrepresentatives of any country and as such, competing with them is not a violation of any government
decision pertaining to Russian or Belorussian athletes. We strongly believe that to discriminate against aneutral athlete is against human rights.
The International Judo Federation strongly condemns the war in Ukraine and we hope that peace will be
restored very soon. As the sport movement is recognised for its powerful impact on world peace, we believethat this decision will represent a bridge towards restoring peace”.

On 16 June 2022 the International Judo Federation published the following statement 88:
Answer to the Letter of the Ukrainian Judo Federation: In Judo There Is no Place for Politics, War andDiscrimination“Dear Mr. President,
Judo is an art, a philosophy and a way of life. The values of our sport are those which have always prevailed
over the decision of some governments to create division and hate between nations.
Sport is and will always be the unique bridge between nations. We are certainly against the war, but also
against hate. Young people, and especially athletes, must be role models for their generations and for thegenerations to come. Athletes cannot be held responsible for the decisions of some leaders, especially in acontext where they chose to compete, instead of going to war. Sport means friendship, unity, solidarity, andpeace.
Throughout history, humanity has faced wars and horrors, but it seems we have not learned our lessons.
Unfortunately, as long as the military industry is prosperous, at world level we can only dream of peace.
This is a tragedy for humanity.
In Judo, we will not encourage division and hate. We must live together now and in the future. No negative
force should be allowed to divide a family like the Judo Family and moreover, I consider that we must be an
example also for other communities.
I am deeply disappointed by the fact that in this conflict we are only talking about the victory of one side or
the other, instead of peace. We should be the ones to inspire through sport the conflicting parties and toshow them that peace is the unique solution in order to stop the conflict and bring back global stability.

88

Available on https://www.ijf.org/news/show/in-judo-there-is-no-place-for-politics-war-and-discrimination (lastvisited on 23 June 2022).
97

We must be united in good times and in bad times. We cannot punish people who are not responsible for thedeeds of others. This would mean to discriminate, and in our sport war, politics and discrimination have noplace.
With best regards,
Marius L. Vizer
President International Judo Federation”

98

LUGE – ILF

Overview
On 2 March 2022, following the IOC Decision of 28 February 2022, FIL among others, passed thefollowing resolutions, declaring that:-

Russia is ineligible to host any FIL sanctioned events.
All Russian athletes, coaches and officials are excluded from all FIL sanctioned events.
Russian representatives appointed by the FIL Executive Board to various commissions andWorking Groups are suspended from their positions.
FIL will initiate an investigation into certain derogatory and disturbing social media posts by
Russian athletes directed at Ukraine89.

The decision was appealed by the Russian Luge Federation to the FIL Court of Arbitration and,
subsequently, on 7 April 2022, the FIL Court of Arbitration annulled all measures imposed on 2
March 2022 against the Russian Luge Federation.
In response, on 11 April 2022, the FIL Executive Board stated that “the FIL leadership, together
with the FIL Legal Committee, will look for possibilities to solve the unsatisfactory situation causedby the arbitration judgment of the FIL Court of Arbitration by means of a possible change in thestatutes, which would have to be decided by a 2/3 majority at the ordinary FIL Congress on June
18-19, 2022 in Riga/LAT”90.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 2 March 2022 the FIL published the following press release:91
The military invasion into Ukraine by the Russian and Belarus governments is condemned in thestrongest terms by the leadership of the International Luge Federation (FIL). The war being waged
against the Ukrainian people is unacceptable and is in stark contrast to all the principles that we,as an international Olympic sports federation, stands for. The very serious and tragic situation in
Ukraine is being monitored by the FIL with great concern.
The FIL is in regular contact with the Ukraine Luge Federation and will support them with all
available resources. The FIL stands with the Ukraine Luge Federation and the people in Ukraine inthis difficult time, and will use every opportunity to support the Federation, its athletes, coaches
and officials.

89

Available on https://www.fil-luge.org/en/news/resolution-of-the-fil-executive-board (last visited on 23 June 2022).
Available on https://www.fil-luge.org/de/news/statement-of-the-fil-executive-board-on-the-decision-of-the-fil-courtof-arbitration-in-the-case-fil-executive-board-v-russian-luge-federation (last visited on 23 June 2022).
90

91

99

In response to the situation in Ukraine, the FIL Executive Board convened an emergency meetingon March 2, 2022, and has therefore taken the following action effective immediately and will last
until further notice:
The FIL hereby condemns in the strongest terms, the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian andBelarus governments.
Russia is ineligible to host any FIL sanctioned events.
All Russian athletes, coaches and officials are excluded from all FIL sanctioned events.
Russian representatives appointed by the FIL Executive Board to various Commissions andWorking Groups are suspended from their positions.
The FIL will initiate an investigation into certain derogatory and disturbing social media posts by
Russian athletes directed at Ukraine.
On 11 April 2022 FIL published the following statement92:
Statement of the FIL Executive Board on the decision of the FIL Court of Arbitration in the case
FIL Executive Board v. Russian Luge Federation

Berchtesgaden (FIL) The FIL Executive Board takes note of the verdict of the FIL Court of
Arbitration of April 7th, 2022, in which the Court of Arbitration annulled all measures imposed on
March 2nd, 2022 against the Russian Luge Federation as a consequence of the war between Russia
and Ukraine for legal reasons.
The FIL Executive Board intends to have it checked in a suitable manner as to whether any
sanctions of any kind against the Russian Luge Federation are actually legally permissible forreasons of “political neutrality”, anchored in the FIL statutes.
The members of the FIL Executive Board, but also the majority of the member federations of the
FIL, cannot and do not want to behave neutrally regarding the war of aggression by Russia against
the Ukraine.
Even knowing that the measures against the Russian Luge Federation have been lifted for legal
reasons, the FIL Executive Board is still fully committed to the measures decided on March 2nd,
2022 until revoked, such as:• The FIL Executive strongly condemns the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and Belarus;•
Russiaisnotauthorizedtohost
eventssanctioned
by
the
FIL;
• All Russian athletes, coaches and officials are barred from all FIL sanctioned events;• Russian representatives in various commissions and working groups appointed by the FIL
Executive will be suspended from their offices.
The FIL leadership, together with the FIL Legal Committee, will look for possibilities to solve theunsatisfactory situation caused by the arbitration judgment of the FIL Court of Arbitration by

92

Available on https://www.fil-luge.org/de/news/statement-of-the-fil-executive-board-on-the-decision-of-the-fil-courtof-arbitration-in-the-case-fil-executive-board-v-russian-luge-federation (last visited on 27 June 2022).
100

means of a possible change in the statutes, which would have to be decided by a 2/3 majority at theordinary FIL Congress on June 18-19, 2022 in Riga/LAT.
In international sport, too, it should be possible to impose sanctions on sports associations andmembers of a country’s association that demonstrates behavior contrary to international law thathas been confirmed by a UN body or the IOC.
The FIL Executive Board would like to assure our so severely tested luge family and the entire
population in the Ukraine their unbroken and unrestricted solidarity once again.
An urgent appeal is made to Russia to end this cruel and unjustifiable war of aggression against
Ukraine immediately.
PENTATHLON – UIPM

Overview
World Pentathlon has suspended Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from competing andtaking part in its international competitions.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 28 February 2022 the UIPM issued the following press release93:
UIPM Follows IOC Guidance and Take Measures with regard to WAR in Ukraine.
“With the escalating tensions and worsening humanitarian situation in Ukraine in the wake of thebreach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian government and the government of Belarus through its
support, the UIPM Executive Board made the following decisions during an emergency meeting
today:
To condemn the breach of the Olympic Truce by the governments of Russia and Belarus asannounced by the IOC Executive Board on February 25.
To express its full support to the people of Ukraine as well as the athletes and the Modern
Pentathlon community in Ukraine, including offering humanitarian assistance where possible. The
UIPM President already wrote to the Ukrainian Modern Pentathlon Federation President with afull expression of support on February 24.
To adopt the IOC Executive Board recommendation published today, February 28, to not allow theparticipation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in UIPM-sanctioned international
competitions, to protect the integrity of the sport and for the safety of all the participants.
UIPM will continue to closely monitor the situation before making further decisions and will makeother announcements in due course.

93

Available on https://www.uipmworld.org/news/uipm-follows-ioc-guidance-and-take-measures-regard-war-ukraine(last visited on 23 June 2022).
101

The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne takes the safety and security of the athletes asparamount and strongly calls for peace with the wish for a better world through peaceful sporting
competitions”.

102

ROWING – WORLD ROWING

Overview
World Rowing has suspended all Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from competing andtaking part in its international competitions.
It is worth mentioning that in early March 2022, World Rowing launched a GoFundMe campaign insupport of the Ukrainian Rowing community.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 1 March 2022 the World Rowing issued the following press release94:
WORLD ROWING CONFIRMS SPORTING SANCTIONS FOR RUSSIA AND BELARUS“World Rowing strongly condemns the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing
violation of the Olympic Truce. Our organisation stands in absolute solidarity with the Ukrainian
people, including our friends at the Ukrainian rowing family, at this time of grave international
crisis.
The World Rowing Executive Committee strongly supports the recommendations issued by the IOC
on February 28. These include recognition that many Ukrainian athletes will be prevented fromparticipating in international competitions as a result of the attack on their country. Accordingly,
World Rowing confirms that it will not allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes
and officials in any of its international competitions, with immediate effect and until further notice.
World Rowing also clarifies that no events are scheduled to take place in Russia or Belarus in
2022.
World Rowing remains in regular contact with the Ukrainian Rowing Federation and would like tothank many of our Member Federations that have already offered to help those of the Ukrainianrowing team impacted by this situation. We call on the entire rowing community to join in support
wherever may be required.
World Rowing will continue to monitor the situation closely and may further adapt its measuresaccording to future developments”.

94

Available on https://worldrowing.com/2022/03/01/world-rowing-confirms-sporting-sanctions-for-russia-and-belarus/(last visited on 23 June 2022).
103

RUGBY – WORLD RUGBY

Overview
Russia’s and Belarus’ national teams are suspended from all international rugby activities, and theirclubs are suspended from cross-border club rugby activities until further notice.
World Rugby has also suspended the membership of the Rugby Union of Russia.
In March, Rugby Europe estimated that 3,000 active Ukrainian rugby players were either on theroad to exile or in the street defending their country as it launched a fundraiser to help the country’s
rugby community.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 25 February 2022 the World Rowing issued the following press release95:
World Rugby Statement: World Rugby strongly condemns the use of military force in the
Ukraine and stands in solidarity with all those affected“World Rugby strongly condemns the use of military force in the Ukraine and stands in solidarity
with all those affected.
The safety of the rugby family in the Ukraine is paramount and World Rugby continues to closely
monitor the situation in partnership with the relevant stakeholders, including Rugby Europe.
World Rugby fully supports Rugby Europe’s suspension of matches and activities hosted in Russia
in line with the IOC position. World Rugby does not have any planned events in Russia”.
On 28 February 2022 the World Rowing issued the following press release96:
World Rugby confirms sporting sanctions for Russia and Belarus“World Rugby's Executive Committee has confirmed new rugby sanctions for Russia and Belarus
and reaffirmed its strong condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
World Rugby reiterates its condemnation of Russia’s aggressive invasion of Ukraine and thefacilitation of this action by Belarus. The global rugby family is united in standing in solidarity witheveryone affected by these deeply disturbing events and joins the global community in calling forthe restoration of peace.

95

Available on https://www.world.rugby/news/691618/world-rugby-statement (last visited on 23 June 2022).
Available on https://www.world.rugby/news/693011/world-rugby-confirms-sporting-sanctions-for-russia (last visitedon 23 June 2022).
96

104

The World Rugby Executive Committee has today decided to take immediate additional steps toprotect the rugby family and take a strong stance against the conflict in line with recommendations
by the International Olympic Committee (IOC):The full and immediate suspension of Russia and Belarus from all international rugby and crossborder club rugby activities until further notice.
The full and immediate suspension of the Rugby Union of Russia from World Rugby membership
until further notice.
The decision has been taken with the interests of rugby’s values of solidarity, integrity and respect
at heart. World Rugby also remains in contact with colleagues at the Ukraine Rugby Federationand has pledged its full support to the rugby community in the country”. (emphasis added)
On 10 March 2022 the World Rowing issued the following press release97:

Rugby sevens competitions update following suspension of Russia“Russia’s suspension means they cannot compete in the remainder of the women’s HSBC World
Rugby Sevens Series 2022, the men’s World Rugby Challenger Series 2022 or participate in thequalification process for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022.
Russia has been suspended from all international and cross-border rugby since 28 FebruaryWorld Rugby EXCO met on Wednesday to confirm impacts on rugby sevens competitions
Russia’s suspension means they cannot compete in the remainder of the women’s HSBC World
Rugby Sevens Series 2022, the men’s World Rugby Challenger Series 2022 or participate in thequalification process for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022
The remaining two women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 events will include Japan and
Mexico as invitational teams in Langford, Canada in April, and Scotland and South Africa as
invitational teams at the final event in Toulouse, France in May
Following World Rugby’s suspension of Russia and Belarus from all international and crossborder rugby competitions, the World Rugby EXCO has confirmed the resulting implications forrugby sevens competitions in 2022.
World Rugby EXCO has confirmed that Russia’s suspension means they cannot compete in theremainder of the women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022, the men’s World Rugby
Challenger Series 2022 or participate in the qualification process for Rugby World Cup Sevens
2022.
Russia is a core team on the women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and their suspension
means they cannot compete in the remaining two rounds of the 2022 Series, in Langford, Canada in
April and Toulouse, France in May.

97

Available on https://www.world.rugby/news/696691/rugby-sevens-competitions-update-following-suspension-ofrussia (last visited on 23 June 2022).
105

Invitational teams from Japan and Mexico will compete in Langford, while Scotland and South
Africa will participate as invitational teams at the final event in Toulouse. This means the updated
pools for Langford see Australia, Canada, Spain and Mexico together in Pool A, with Ireland,
France, Brazil and Japan contesting Pool B, and England, USA, Fiji and New Zealand in a verystrong looking Pool C”.

106

SAILING – WORLD SAILING

Overview
Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials are suspended from participating in international
competitions sanctioned by World Sailing.
Where not possible due to short time frames, or organisational or legal reasons, Russian andBelarusian athletes will participate “neutrally, without national symbols, colours, flags or anthems”.
The suspension applies also to the participation of any boat owned or effectively controlled or
managed by a Russian or Belarusian individual or entity.
Similarly, World Sailing’s guidance to our MNAs, Class Associations, affiliated bodies, and all
event organisers is to implement the same measures.
Where this is not possible, for organisational, or legal reasons, World Sailing is advising event
organisers do everything in their power to ensure that Russian or Belarusian athletes (be it asindividuals or teams), officials or boats participate neutrally, without national symbols, colours,
flags or anthems.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 24 February 2022 the World Sailing issued the following press release98:
World Sailing statement concerning the situation in Ukraine.
World Sailing is very concerned about the situation in Ukraine and we are troubled about the safetyof our friends in the Ukrainian sailing community.
Sport can be a force for good, bringing competitors from around the world together, united by thevalues of equality, inclusion, respect and fairness.
World Sailing joins many international sports organisations calling for an immediate end to all
hostilities and a resumption of dialogue for a peaceful resolution in place of military action.
There are no World Sailing organised regattas planned to be held in Russia or Belarus in 2022,
and the Executive Board are supporting the relocation of training and education events in Russia.
We remain in contact with all our Member National Authorities to offer our support at thisincredibly difficult time.
On 18 April 2022 the World Sailing issued the following press release99:
98

Available on https://www.sailing.org/2022/02/28/world-sailing-statement-5/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
Available on https://www.sailing.org/2022/05/25/world-sailing-statement-24-may-2022/ (last visited on 23 June2022).
99

107

World Sailing follow-up statement concerning the situation in Ukraine.
This update follows the statement issued on 1 March 2022 regarding World Sailing’s decision in
relation to the suspension of the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials inWorld Sailing owned and sanctioned competitions and events until further notice which is available
here.
The World Sailing Board met on 6 April 2022 to consider extending these measures. The World
Sailing Board:- agreed to set in motion the processes and approvals from its stakeholders to enable
in extraordinary circumstances the temporary suspension of the participation ofmembers of committees, commissions, working parties, the Council and any otherrelevant body of World Sailing.
-intends to clarify that its position in relation to the participation of athletes from
Russia and Belarus also excludes the participation of any boat owned or effectively
controlled or managed by a Russian or Belarusian individual or entity.

The Board considers these to be proportionate measures appropriate to our sport and the World
Sailing Legal Team is now working through the necessary next steps, which will include:
Reviewing World Sailing’s constitution and all applicable Regulations to ensure due process isfollowed; andPreparing regulatory and constitutional changes for approval by Council and Member National
Authorities (respectively).
The World Sailing Board is aiming to conclude this matter in advance of the Mid-Year meeting due
to take place in Abu Dhabi between 26-29 May 2022.
On 24 May 2022 the World Sailing issued the following press release100:

World Sailing follow-up statement concerning the situation in Ukraine.

Following on from the World Sailing Statement of Intent, published on the 18 April 2022, the Board
put a vote to the eligible World Sailing Member National Authorities (MNAs) to change World
Sailing’s articles of association by inserting a new article 104 and Schedule D, that if adopted,
would allow the MNAs and Council (respectively) to temporarily suspend individuals from Council
and other World Sailing bodies in extraordinary circumstances.
The MNAs agreed (on a 75% majority of votes cast) to change World Sailing’s articles ofassociation and following on from that:
The MNAs agreed (on a 75% majority of votes cast) there were extraordinary circumstances totemporarily suspend the relevant World Sailing’s Council member in accordance with Article 104
and Part 1 of Schedule D of the Articles of Association.
100

Available on https://www.sailing.org/2022/05/25/world-sailing-statement-24-may-2022/ (last visited on 23 June2022).
108

Council agreed (on a 75% majority of votes cast) there were extraordinary circumstances totemporarily suspend the relevant World Sailing members of Committees, Commissions, working
parties and other relevant bodies in accordance with Article 104 and Part 2 of Schedule D of the
Articles of Association.
Therefore, with immediate effect, those individuals have been temporarily suspended and will notparticipate in relevant World Sailing events, activities or conferences until further notice. Under the
new article, the Board shall review the situation every three months.
This matter has been carefully considered by the World Sailing Board over recent months with thebest interests of sailing as its priority. Their direction to give this important decision to our Member
National Authorities and Council ensured it was democratically made.
Clarification relating to participation of any boat owned or effectively controlled or managed bya Russian or Belarusian individual or entity
In addition to the World Sailing statement of 1 March (found here) World Sailing confirms thisincludes the suspension of the participation of any boat owned or effectively controlled or managed
by a Russian or Belarusian individual or entity. Similarly, World Sailing’s guidance to our MNAs,
Class Associations, affiliated bodies, and all event organisers is to implement the same measures.
Where this is not possible, for organisational, or legal reasons, World Sailing is advising event
organisers do everything in their power to ensure that Russian or Belarusian athletes (be it asindividuals or teams), officials or boats participate neutrally, without national symbols, colours,
flags or anthems.
The World Sailing Board thanks all stakeholders for their cooperation and support during what is avery difficult time for many people in our sport around the world.

World Sailing follow-up statement concerning the situation in Ukraine“Today World Sailing joined the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and global sports
organisations in taking the decision to suspend participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes
and officials in World Sailing owned and sanctioned competitions and events until further notice.
By implementing these measures, World Sailing is supporting a united and coordinated approachwithin the global sports movement.
This decision is in line with the IOC Executive Board’s recommendation, aimed at preserving the
integrity of competitions and ensuring the safety of all participants, and has been unanimously
agreed by the World Sailing Executive Board.
We are now strongly urging our Member National Authorities, Class Associations, affiliated bodies,and all event organisers to implement the measure to suspend the participation of Russian orBelarusian athletes and officials in their respective events and competitions.
Where this is not possible, due to short time frames, for organisational, or legal reasons, World
Sailing, in line with the IOC Executive Board recommendation, is advising event organisers do
everything in their power to ensure that Russian or Belarusian athletes (be it as individuals or
teams), and officials participate neutrally, without national symbols, colours, flags or anthems.
109

Both on and off the water, our sport is united by the values of equality, inclusion, respect andfairness.
We are now asking our sailing family to come together as a sporting force for good by working withus at this incredibly difficult time”.

110

SKATING – ISU

Overview
The International Skating Union has banned Russian and Belarusian skaters from participating in all
ISU international ice skating competitions.
The same applies to Officials listed in the respective ISU Communications and/or Regulations
under Russia and Belarus.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 27 February 2022 the ISU issued the following press release101:

ISU Statement on Ukraine and remaining event in season 2021_22

The ISU is witnessing with great disbelief the events unfolding in Ukraine and is deeply concerned
about the safety of the skating family in Ukraine. Our hearts go out to all those affected and ourthoughts are with the entire Ukrainian people and country. The ISU expresses its solidarity with all
those affected by this conflict.
The ISU is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and also in the neighbouring countries
where ISU Events are scheduled to be held during the coming weeks. Based on the currently
available information, the ISU maintains all scheduled ISU Events as planned. It is to be noted thatfor the remainder of the current season 2021/22, there are no ISU Events planned in Russia andBelarus.
The ISU holds the safety of all Skaters as the highest priority and if additional security
requirements are needed, the ISU will financially assist the organizing ISU Members in coping withthis new situation.
Besides the developments in the Ukraine, the ISU is continually monitoring the pandemic situationand in particular the entry conditions in countries hosting ISU Events, as well as travel restrictions
around the World. The ISU is currently faced with a critical situation for the holding of two ISU
Championships in Canada during the ongoing season, namely the ISU World Short Track Speed
Skating Championships, scheduled to be held in Montreal on March 18-20, 2022 and the ISU
World Synchronized Skating Championships, scheduled to be held in Hamilton on April 7-9, 2022.
Since the beginning of 2022, the Canadian Government has imposed a requirement that only
foreign nationals who are fully vaccinated with a World Health Organization approved vaccine are
permitted to enter Canada without a 14-day quarantine. Despite all possible efforts by the
Canadian ISU Members (Speed Skating Canada and Skate Canada), it has been confirmed that
there will be no exemption program in place for sporting events moving forward.

101

Available on https://www.isu.org/isu-news/news/145-news/14022-isu-statement-on-ukraine-and-remaining-isuevents-season-2021-22?templateParam=15 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
111

Even though the current restrictions might concern only a few ISU Members participating in theabove-mentioned ISU Championships in Canada, it nevertheless results in an unsatisfactory
situation for those ISU Members. Until today, the ISU Council had adopted a policy that does notallow the staging of ISU Championships under these circumstances and before the outbreak of the
Ukrainian crisis, the ISU Council was prepared to consider re-allocation of the above-mentioned
Championships to other ISU Members. However, due to the Ukrainian situation and related serious
uncertainties, such relocation on short notice has become extremely complex and difficult.
Considering these truly extraordinary and exceptional circumstances the Council agreed thatexceptional solutions must be applied. The Council consequently decided that:
The planned ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2022 in Montreal, CAN and the
ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships 2022 in Hamilton, CAN are maintained.
The ISU will financially support teams that have team members who do not fulfil the Canadianentry/vaccination requirements and who are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine.
The ISU will financially support organizing ISU Members for additional expenses arising fromeither the pandemic and/or additional security requirements.
The ISU Council strongly emphasizes that this is an exceptional decision based on the truly
extraordinary and exceptional circumstances resulting from both the pandemic and the Ukrainiancrisis situation.
The possible re-allocation of the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2022, whichcannot be held as planned in Sofia, Bulgaria, remains under evaluation for a decision as soon as
possible.
The ISU will keep ISU Members informed of any new developments
On 1 March 2022 the ISU issued the following press release102:
ISU Statement on the Ukrainian crisis - Participation in international
competitions of Skaters and Officials from Russia and Belarus“The ISU Council reiterates its solidarity with all those affected by the conflict in Ukraine and ourthoughts are with the entire Ukrainian people and country. The ISU Council reaffirms its fullsolidarity with the ISU Members in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Speed Skating Federation and the
Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation. The ISU Council will evaluate possibilities for swift
humanitarian assistance to its Ukrainian ISU Members.
The ISU Council carefully evaluated the IOC Statement of February 28, 2022 as well as appeals
received from ISU Members and others calling for a ban on the participation of Skaters andOfficials from Russia and Belarus in ISU Events and other International Skating competitions.
Following the IOC recommendation, in order to protect the integrity of ice skating competitions
and for the safety of all the participants of international ice skating competitions, the ISU Council
based on Article 17.1.q)i) of the ISU Constitution, agreed that with immediate effect and until
102

Available on https://www.isu.org/media-centre/press-releases/2022-4/27825-isu-statement-on-the-ukrainian-crisis01-03-2022/file (last visited on 23 June 2022).
112

further notice, no Skaters belonging to the ISU Members in Russia (Russian Skating Union and the
Figure Skating Federation of Russia) and Belarus (Skating Union of Belarus) shall be invited or
allowed to participate in International ice skating Competitions including ISU Championships andother ISU Events. The same applies to Officials listed in the respective ISU Communications and/or
Regulations under Russia and Belarus.
The ISU Council will continue to closely monitor the situation in Ukraine and its impact on the ISU
activity and will take additional steps if and when required”.

113

SKIING – FIS

Overview
The International Ski Federation (FIS) has cancelled all remaining FIS World Cup events scheduled
to be held in Russia this season. Russian and Belarusian skiers are suspended from competing in all
FIS competitions.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 1 March 2022 the FIS issued the following press release103:
Russian and Belarusian Athletes not to take part in FIS Competitions“The FIS Council met today to discuss the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board
recommendation that all International Federations not allow the participation of Russian andBelarusian athletes in their competitions. The recommendation followed escalating security andsafety issues faced by the athletes and local organisers.
The IOC EB stated: “In order to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for thesafety of all the participants, the IOC EB recommends that International Sports Federations andsports event organisers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes andofficials in international competitions.”
To ensure the safety and security of all athletes at FIS competitions, the FIS Council decided
unanimously, in line with the IOC recommendation, that with immediate effect, no Russian orBelarusian athlete shall participate in any FIS competition at any level through the end of the 20212022 season.
The FIS Council does not take the decision lightly not to allow any athlete to participate in any
competition and is only doing so in accordance with the FIS Statutes, which states ‘FIS shallconduct its activities in a politically neutral manner’, which is a cornerstone of the FIS values
adopted by its 140 member nations.
FIS calls on its National Ski Associations to support the involved athletes as they travel back totheir homes and for the full support of the international ski community during these difficult times.
The Council expressed its deepest and sincerest hope that the conflict in Ukraine will come to an
end quickly and that the international sports community can begin the process of healing and once
again compete with all athletes and nations present.
As previously announced, FIS, in solidarity with the Ski Federation of Ukraine, is providing
immediate financial, logistical and technical support to Ukrainian athletes and teams until they aresafely able to return home”.

103

Available on https://www.fis-ski.com/en/international-ski-federation/news-multimedia/news-2022/russian-andbelarusian-athletes-not-to-take-part-in-fis-competitions (last visited on 23 June 2022).
114

SURFING – ISA

Overview
The International Surfing Association Athletes has suspended all officials from Russia fromparticipating in its events.
No ISA events will be organized for the foreseeable future.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 1 March 2022 the ISA issued the following press release104:
ISA Confirms Sporting Exclusions for Russia“At an extraordinary meeting on February 28th, the ISA Executive Committee decided to impose
strict sporting exclusions on athletes and officials from Russia. These measures are the result of the
ISA’s strong condemnation of the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine and the terrible andunprovoked military assault on the Ukrainian people.
In line with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendations, the ISA’s sanctions
mean no athletes and officials from Russia will be invited to participate or attend ISA events until
further notice.
This action follows an earlier confirmation that the ISA will not consider staging any ISA events in
Russia for the foreseeable future.
The global surfing community is shocked and appalled by the awful act of aggression by Russia andBelarus’ role to facilitate their invasion of Ukraine. We are unequivocal in our views on this crisis
and we stand in full solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. This is a human tragedy that
requires us all to take a strong stance and send a message that such violence will not tolerated nor
forgotten.
The ISA’s decisions serve to ensure the safety of the public, athletes and officials, and protect the
integrity of our competitions. We remain in contact with the Ukrainian Surfing Federation to offer
support to the Ukrainian surf community and we hope peace is restored as quickly as possible”.

104

Available on https://isasurf.org/isa-confirms-sporting-exclusions-for-russia/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
115

SWIMMING – FINA

Overview
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) has suspended all Russian or Belarusian fromcompeting under the name of Russia or Belarus, and must compete as neutral athletes or neutral
teams.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has the FINA Order award withdrawn.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 1 March 2022 the FINA issued the following press release105:
FINA Order award withdrawn“With Russian aggression continuing in Ukraine, the FINA Bureau has today made further
decisions:
The FINA Order awarded to Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014 has been withdrawn.
Until further notice, no athlete or Aquatics official from Russia or Belarus be allowed to take part
under the name of Russia or Belarus. Russian or Belarusian nationals, be it as individuals or teams,
should be accepted only as neutral athletes or neutral teams. No national symbols, colours, flags
should be displayed or anthems should be played, in international Aquatics events which are notalready part of the respective World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sanctions for Russia.
FINA remains deeply concerned about the impact of the war on the aquatics community and thewider population of Ukraine. FINA will continue to carefully monitor the grave situation and makefurther decisions as appropriate”. (emphasys added)

105

Available on https://www.fina.org/news/2509860/press-release-fina-order-award-withdrawn (last visited on 23 June2022).
116

TAEKWONDO – WORLD TAEKWONDO

Overview
World Taekwondo has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from participating at
World Taekwondo events until further notice.
No Russian or Belarusian national flags or anthems will be displayed or played at World
Taekwondo events. World Taekwondo and the European Taekwondo Union will not organise orrecognise Taekwondo events in Russia and Belarus.

World Taekwondo has also stripped Russian President Vladimir Putin of his honorary black belt.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 28 February 2022 the World Taekwondo issued the following press release:106

Peace is more precious than triumph

World Taekwondo strongly condemns the brutal attacks on innocent lives in Ukraine, which goagainst the World Taekwondo vision of “Peace is More Precious than Triumph” and the World
Taekwondo values of respect and tolerance.
In this regard, World Taekwondo has decided to withdraw the honorary 9th dan black belt
conferred to Mr. Vladimir Putin in November 2013.
In solidarity with the International Olympic Committee, no Russian or Belarusian national flags oranthems will be displayed or played at World Taekwondo events. World Taekwondo and theEuropean Taekwondo Union will not organise or recognise Taekwondo events in Russia andBelarus.
World Taekwondo’s thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and we hope for a peaceful and
immediate end to this war.
On 3 March 2022 the World Taekwondo issued the following press release:107
Russia and Belarus athletes and officials prohibited from competing in international events“The World Taekwondo Council today met for an extraordinary meeting to decide on further
actions that the federation will take in view of the ongoing war in Ukraine and following the IOC’s
recommendations.
106

Available on http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/wtnews/view.html?nid=138702&mcd=C02&page=4 (last visited on
23 June 2022).
107
Available on http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/wtnews/view.html?nid=138702&sc=ne&w=russia (last visited on 23
June 2022).
117

The Council began by reiterating its condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine and the attacks on
innocent lives, and expressed its sincere sympathies to the victims. The Council expressed its hopefor a peaceful and immediate end to this war.
In support of the IOC’s recommendations, the Council decided that Russian and Belarusianathletes and officials will not be permitted to compete at World Taekwondo events until further
notice. The Council also approved amendments to its Statutes to reflect this decision.
The Council expressed its reluctance to penalise athletes for decisions of their governments outsideof their control. The Council, however, agreed that for the safety of all participants and in theinterests of protecting the integrity of its competitions, this was a difficult but necessary decision.
Following the Council’s decision not to organise events in Russia or Belarus, the Council also
approved the re-opening of the bid process for the 2023 World Taekwondo Championships until theend of March.
World Taekwondo reiterates that “Peace is more Precious than Triumph” and its values of respect
and tolerance”.
The World Taekwondo Council today met for an extraordinary meeting to decide on further actions
that the federation will take in view of the ongoing war in Ukraine and following the IOC’s
recommendations.
The Council began by reiterating its condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine and the attacks on
innocent lives, and expressed its sincere sympathies to the victims. The Council expressed its hopefor a peaceful and immediate end to this war.
In support of the IOC’s recommendations, the Council decided that Russian and Belarusianathletes and officials will not be permitted to compete at World Taekwondo events until further
notice. The Council also approved amendments to its Statutes to reflect this decision.
The Council expressed its reluctance to penalise athletes for decisions of their governments outsideof their control. The Council, however, agreed that for the safety of all participants and in theinterests of protecting the integrity of its competitions, this was a difficult but necessary decision.
Following the Council’s decision not to organise events in Russia or Belarus, the Council also
approved the re-opening of the bid process for the 2023 World Taekwondo Championships until theend of March.
World Taekwondo reiterates that “Peace is more Precious than Triumph” and its values of respect
and tolerance.108

108

Available on http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/wtnews/view.html?nid=138706&sc=ne&w=russia (last visited on 23
June 2022).
118

TENNIS TABLE – ITTF – ETTF

Overview
Until further notice, no Russian or Belarusian players and officials will be invited or allowed inevents hosted by the ITTF Group, and no Russian or Belarusian national symbols, colours, flags, oranthems will be displayed. Please note no ITTF Group events are currently scheduled in Russia or
Belarus.
An ITTF Task Force, which will monitor the situation and co-ordinate efforts to allow Ukrainian
players to continue participating at international events as soon as possible.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 12 March 2022 the ITTF published the following statement109:
The ITTF Group is very concerned about the conflict in Ukraine (26 February 2022).
We are monitoring the situation and have tasked the ITTF Foundation with reaching the Ukraine
Table Tennis Federation to offer support where possible.
The ITTF Group is aligned with the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee andwill follow its recommendations. We ask the Continental Federations and the Member Associations
to act accordingly.
On the same day the ITTF published the following statement110:
Russian and Belarusian Players and Officials Not Allowed in ITTF Group Events“The ITTF Group remains highly concerned by the outbreak of war in Ukraine. It expresses its
solidarity with the people of Ukraine and wishes to send a powerful message of peace and unity to
the entire world.
The ITTF Executive Committee met on March 1st, 2022, after consulting with the sport community,
and took the decision to follow the recommendations made by the IOC Executive Board withimmediate effect.
Therefore, until further notice, no Russian or Belarusian players and officials will be invited or
allowed in events hosted by the ITTF Group, and no Russian or Belarusian national symbols,
colours, flags, or anthems will be displayed. Please note no ITTF Group events are currently
scheduled in Russia or Belarus.
The ITTF Athletes’ Commission also expressed their deep concern and sympathy, and fully support
these decisions.

109

Available on https://www.ittf.com/2022/02/26/ittf-group-statement-situation-ukraine/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
Available on https://www.ittf.com/2022/03/01/russian-belarusian-players-officials-not-allowed-ittf-group-events/(last visited on 23 June 2022).
110

119

The ITTF Group will continue to monitor the situation and will review its decision in light of future
developments.”
On 12 March 2022 the ITTF published the following statement111:
The ITTF Group is very concerned about the conflict in Ukraine.
We are monitoring the situation and have tasked the ITTF Foundation with reaching the Ukraine
Table Tennis Federation to offer support where possible.
The ITTF Group is aligned with the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee andwill follow its recommendations. We ask the Continental Federations and the Member Associations
to act accordingly.
Ping Pong Diplomacy has been at the heart of our sport for more than half a century. The ITTF
Group strongly believes that constructive dialogue is the solution to any disputes. We hope for a
rapid return to peace.
On 16 March 2022 the ITTF published the following statement112:
ITTF Creates Task Force to Support Ukraine Table Tennis community
One of the major items discussed during the meeting of the ITTF Executive Committee held in
Singapore on 15 and 16 March was the outbreak of war in Ukraine. The ITTF Executive Committee
remains very concerned and reaffirmed its full solidarity with the Ukrainian Table Tennis
community.
The outcome of discussions is the formation of a Task Force, which will monitor the situation andco-ordinate efforts to allow Ukrainian players to continue participating at international events assoon as possible.
Members of the Task Force comprise Petra Sörling, ITTF President, fellow Executive Committee
colleagues, Khalil Al-Mohannadi and Wahid Oshodi, alongside Zoran Primorac, Athletes’
Commission Chair, and Steve Dainton, ITTF Group Chief Executive Officer.
Previous decisions and future developments will be constantly evaluated.

111

Available on https://www.ittf.com/2022/03/01/russian-belarusian-players-officials-not-allowed-ittf-group-events/(last visited on 23 June 2022).
112
Available on https://www.ittf.com/2022/03/16/ittf-creates-task-force-support-ukraine-table-tennis-community/ (lastvisited on 23 June 2022).
120

European Tennis Table Union

Overview:
In March 2022, the ETTU Executive Board agreed not to let Belarusian and Russian players andofficials be invited or allowed in events hosted by ETTU and no Belarusian or Russian national
symbols, flags or anthems will be displayed until further notice.
The ETTU Executive Board today decided that Russian clubs will not be permitted to compete inany European Club competitions for the 2021-2022 season. This includes Russian clubs due tocompete in the semi-final and final of the Men’s Champions League.
On 27 April 2022, the ETTU Executive Board issued a statement confirming that it had received thedecision of the Board of Appeal (BoA) on the appeal lodged by the Table Tennis Federation of
Russia, in which it ruled against the decision to suspend the Russian table tennis clubs Fakel
Gazprom Orenburg and TTSC UMMC from last season’s semi-final and final of the Champions
League.
The ETTU emphasized that it had no wish to punish athletes for the decisions of their governments,
however the decision to suspend the Russian clubs was taken to protect athlete safety and ensure theintegrity of its competitions, in line with the recommendations of the IOC and ITTF113.
On 16 May 2022, the ETTU stated that the ETTU Executive Board had submitted new information
to the Board of Appeal and requested a revision of the BoA’s judgement on the appeal of the Table
Tennis Federation of Russia, Fakel Gazprom Orenburg and TTSC UMMC regarding the Table
Tennis Champions League season 2021-2022114. On the date of this Survey no further information
is available in respect of the court and the outcome of these proceedings.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 1 March 2022 the ETTU published the following statement115:
ETTU Statement
The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) shares concerns about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine

and hopes for its fast resolution. ETTU is ready to help Ukrainian table tennis athletes and will beworking hard to guarantee their participation at all future ETTU events.
ETTU supports the latest announcement of International Table Tennis Federation and will follow
its recommendation as ETTU did during our latest event Europe TOP-16 in Switzerland.

113

https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/april/ettu-eb-/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/may/ettu-statement-on-board-of-appeal-decision/ (last visited on 23 June2022).
115
Available on https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/february/ettu-official-statement/ (last visited on 27 June 2022).
114

121

ETTU believes in unity and mutual respect together with constructive dialogue as the solution to
disputes.
The ETTU Secretary General is to set the number of ETTU events and suggest the plan for
implementation of the ITTF recommendation taking into account all possible travelling issues.
Also ETTU would like to thank the Europe TOP-16 Local Organising Committee in Montreux for
hosting a fantastic table tennis event.
On 2 March 2022 the ETTU published the following statement116:
ETTU Executive Board decision
Due to the decision made during ITTF Executive Committee meeting on March 1st, 2022, ETTU
Executive Board agreed not to let Belarusian and Russian players and officials be invited or
allowed in events hosted by ETTU and no Belarusian or Russian national symbols, flags or anthems
will be displayed until further notice.
On 3 March 2022 the ETTU published the following statement117:
ETTU Statement on Clubs Competitions
The ETTU Executive Board today decided that Russian clubs will not be permitted to compete inany European Club competitions for the 2021-2022 season. This includes Russian clubs due tocompete in the semi-final and final of the Men’s Champions League.
Today’s announcement is in line with the recommendations of the ITTF Group and follows on fromthe Executive Board’s decision to not invite or allow Belarusian and Russian players and officials
to participate in events hosted by ETTU until further notice.
On 3 March 2022 the ETTU published the following statement118:
ETTU Letter to Member Associations“Dear friends,
The ETTU Executive Board met today to discuss further action needed to protect the integrity of
our competitions and the wellbeing of our athletes. After careful deliberation, the ETTU Executive
Board decided that Russian clubs will not be permitted to compete in any European Club
competitions for the 2021-2022 season. This includes Russian clubs due to compete in the semifinal and final of the Men’s Champions League.

116

Available on https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/march/ettu-executive-board-decision/ (last visited on 27 June2022).
117
Available on https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/march/ettu-statement-on-clubs-competitions/ (last visited on 27
June 2022).
118
Available on https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/march/ettu-letter-to-member-associations/ (last visited on 27 June2022).
122

This decision is in line with the previous ETTU decision to not invite or allow Belarusian andRussian players and officials to participate in events hosted by ETTU until further notice andfollows the recommendations set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and ITTF. In
addition, no Belarusian or Russian national symbols, flags or anthems will be displayed at ETTU
events until further notice.
The ETTU Executive Board also informs that both Vladimir Samsonov and Polina Mikhailova haveself-suspended from their positions on the Executive Board, immediately after Igor Levitin’s selfsuspension from the Presidency, until further notice.
The ETTU Executive Board accepts their decision and will continue to operate as normal, in fullcompliance with the ETTU Constitution, in order to best serve European table tennis. As the ITTF
has repeatedly stated, Ping Pong Diplomacy has been at the heart of our sport for more than half acentury and we join them in hoping that constructive dialogue can be the solution to any disputes.
As a table tennis family, we are united in our hope that peace will soon return to Europe.
Yours sincerely,
ETTU Executive Board”
On 31 March 2022 the ETTU published the following statement119:
ETTU Executive Board meeting on 30th March“On Wednesday 30th March a meeting of the ETTU Executive Board was held virtually under theleadership of Acting President Pedro MOURA.
Mr Moura reported on the recent meeting of the ITTF Continental Council at Singapore during thefirst WTT Grand Smash event which he had attended. He thanked ITTF President Petra SÖRLING,
ITTF Executive Committee members and Continental Presidents for their discussions andexchanges of ideas.
Mr MOURA reported to the Executive Board members on the Paris 2024 Olympic Gamesqualification system proposals and the implications for European players. He also reported on thelatest World Table Tennis Championships updates for Chengdu 2022 and Durban 2023.
The Executive Board discussed arrangements for the 2022 European Youth Championships to beplayed at Štark Arena Belgrade SRB from Wednesday 6th to Friday 15th July 2022.
Vice President for Finances Sandra DEATON reported on the current 2022 budget and the impactof the conflict in Ukraine on finances and expenditure.
The Executive Board approved financial compensation for the Acting President, Pedro MOURA,
while carrying out his duties as ETTU Acting President.
The Executive Board clarified that Russian and Belarusian players and coaches registered to clubs
outside of Russia and Belarus can continue to compete for their clubs in ETTU competitions.
119

Available on https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/march/ettu-executive-board-meeting-on-30th-march/ (last visitedon 27 June 2022).
123

A report was received on the recent meeting of the Women’s Champions League management
board and the arrangements for the newly introduced Europe Trophy competition due to start next
month.
It was agreed to meet at Malmö SWE on 20th and 21st April 2022.
Mr MOURA thanked members and staff for their contributions to the meeting” (emphasis added).
On 27 April 2022 the ETTU published the following statement120:
ETTU Board of Appeal decision

The ETTU Executive Board has received the decision of the Board of Appeal (BoA) on the appeal of
the Table Tennis Federation of Russia, Fakel Gazprom Orenburg and TTSC UMMC.
The ETTU welcomes the BoA’s ruling to uphold the decision that Russian and Belarusian national
teams are banned from ETTU competitions until further notice and that no Russian or Belarusiannational symbols, flags or anthems will be displayed at ETTU events until further notice.
The ETTU notes with disappointment that the BoA has ruled against its decision to suspend Fakel
Gazprom Orenburg and TTSC UMMC from last season’s semi-final and final of the Champions
League.
While the ETTU has no wish to punish athletes for the decisions of their governments, the decision
to suspend the Russian clubs was taken to protect athlete safety and ensure the integrity of its
competitions, in line with the recommendations of the IOC and ITTF.
The ETTU Executive Board will meet to discuss the next steps following the BoA’s decision.
On 16 May 2022 the ETTU published the following statement121:
ETTU statement on Board of Appeal decision on TT Champions League season 2021-2022

The ETTU Executive Board has submitted new information to the Board of Appeal (BoA) andrequested a revision of the BoA’s judgement on the appeal of the Table Tennis Federation of
Russia, Fakel Gazprom Orenburg and TTSC UMMC regarding the Table Tennis Champions
League season 2021-2022.
The BoA is currently reviewing the ETTU’s request and no further comment will be provided until
the BoA has come to its decision.
The ETTU reiterates its commitment to protecting the safety of its athletes and all stakeholders andensuring the integrity of its competitions.

120

Available on https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/april/ettu-eb-/ (last visited on 27 June 2022).
Available on https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/may/ettu-statement-on-board-of-appeal-decision/ (last visited on
27 June 2022).
121

124

TENNIS – ITF

Overview
The WTA and ATP Boards have made the decision to suspend the WTA / ATP combined event,scheduled this October in Moscow.
The ITF Board has made the decision to suspend the Russian Tennis Federation and Belarus Tennis
Federation membership and to withdraw their entries from all ITF international team competition
until further notice. This action follows the cancellation of all ITF tournaments in Russia andBelarus indefinitely.
At this time, players from Russia and Belarus will continue to be allowed to compete ininternational tennis events on Tour and at the Grand Slams. However, they will not compete under
the name or flag of Russia or Belarus until further notice.
On 16 June 2022 the USTA announced that will allow individual athletes from Russia and Belarus
to compete in the 2022 US Open, but only under a neutral flag.
The ITF has postponed the ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event due to take place in Ukraine thisApril and has cancelled all ITF events taking place in Russia indefinitely.
WTA, ATP, ITF and the four Grand Slams will make a joint charitable donation of $700,000 USD
in aid of humanitarian relief and to support the Ukraine Tennis Federation

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 25 February 2022 the ITF published the following statement122:
ITF STATEMENT REGARDING THE RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINEThe International Tennis Federation has issued a statement regarding the Russian invasion of
Ukraine:“Our first and highest priority is to protect the safety of tennis players and all those travelling toand participating at ITF events. Due to heightened security concerns, the ITF has postponed the
ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event due to take place in Ukraine this April and has cancelled all ITF
events taking place in Russia indefinitely.
"We will continue to monitor this situation closely and review on an ongoing basis. Any further
course of action will be decided based on a thorough risk assessment and the advice we receivefrom security experts and the relevant authorities.”

On 1 March 2022 the ITF published the following statement:

122

Available on https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/itf-statement-regarding-the-russian-invasion-ofukraine/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
125

JOINT STATEMENT BY THE INTERNATIONAL GOVERNING BODIES OF TENNIS
A deep sense of distress, shock and sadness has been felt across the entire tennis community
following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the past week. Our thoughts are with the people of
Ukraine, and we commend the many tennis players who have spoken out and take action against
this unacceptable act of aggression. We echo their calls for the violence to end and peace to return.
The safety of the tennis community is our most immediate collective priority. The focus of the WTA
and ATP in particular in recent days has been on contacting current and former players, and othermembers of the tennis community from Ukraine and neighboring countries, to check on their safety
and offer any assistance.
The international governing bodies of tennis stand united in our condemnation of Russia’s actions
and, as a result, are in agreement with the following decisions and actions:The WTA and ATP Boards have made the decision to suspend the WTA / ATP combined
event, scheduled this October in Moscow.
The ITF Board has made the decision to suspend the Russian Tennis Federation andBelarus Tennis Federation membership and to withdraw their entries from all ITF
international team competition until further notice. This action follows the cancellation of
all ITF tournaments in Russia and Belarus indefinitely.
At this time, players from Russia and Belarus will continue to be allowed to compete ininternational tennis events on Tour and at the Grand Slams. However, they will not compete
under the name or flag of Russia or Belarus until further notice.

On 1 March 2022 the ITF published the following statement123:
ITF SUSPENDSCOMPETITIONRUSSIA,

BELARUSFROMITF

MEMBERSHIP

AND

TEAM

ITF Statement“The International Tennis Federation (ITF) condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its
facilitation by Belarus. In addition to the cancellation of all ITF events in those countries, the ITF
Board has today announced the immediate suspension of the Russian Tennis Federation (RTF) andBelarus Tennis Federation (BTF) from ITF membership and from participation in ITF internationalteam competition until further notice.
The ITF remains in close contact with the Ukraine Tennis Federation and stands in solidarity withthe people of Ukraine.”

Does this mean Russian and Belarusian tennis players are banned from competing?
Players from Russia and Belarus will continue to be allowed to compete in international tennis
events as individuals. However, they will not compete under the name or flag of Russia or Belarus
until further notice.
123

Available on https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/itf-statement-itf-suspends-russia-and-belarusfrom-itf-membership-and-international-team-competition/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
126

The suspension is for an indefinite period, but Russia and Belarus have been withdrawn from or are
ineligible to compete in all 2022 ITF international team competitions
Which team competitions will this include in 2022?
DAVIS CUP AND BILLIE JEAN KING CUP
Davis Cup World Group I Play-off: Belarus v Mexico 4-5 March
Billie Jean King Cup Qualifier: Belarus v Belgium 14-15 April
Both RTF teams had qualified for the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup Finals as 2021
champions
WHEELCHAIRWorld Team Cup – Qualification event – Antalya, Turkey – 17-21 March
World Team Cup – World Group event – Vilamoura, Portugal – 2-8 May
SENIORS
Seniors & Super Seniors World Team Championships – w/c 26 April Young Seniors World TeamChampionships – w/c 1 August
JUNIORS
Tennis Europe European Summer Cups – used as qualification events for World Junior Tennis(14U) and Junior DC/BJKC (16U)
BEACH
Beach Tennis World Cup – Rio, Brazil – 7-13 November
On 8 March 2022 the ITF published the following statement124:

TENNIS UNITES FOR TENNIS PLAYS FOR PEACE INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT UKRAINE
WTA, ATP, ITF and the four Grand Slams will make a joint charitable donation of $700,000 USD
in aid of humanitarian relief and to support the Ukraine Tennis Federation
Activations will take place across the digital platforms of all seven organizations, including thelaunch of an emotive video featuring Ukrainian players Elina Svitolina and Sergiy Stakhovsky
The upcoming BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells will see WTA & ATP players wearing ribbons in
the colors of Ukraine
The WTA, ATP, ITF, and the four Grand Slams – the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon
and the US Open – have announced today a new initiative to support the humanitarian relief efforts
for the war in Ukraine.
Following unified condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a statement issued by the sevenorganisations on March 1, further efforts to support those affected by this crisis will take place aspart of the newly created Tennis Plays For Peace campaign over the coming weeks.

124

Available on https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/tennis-family-unites-for-tennis-plays-for-peaceinitiative-to-support-ukraine/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
127

Today each of the seven entities has donated $100,000 USD to the humanitarian relief efforts, withdonations supporting Global Giving’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund which will provide immediate
help on the ground across the region, as well as the Ukraine Tennis Federation.
The seven bodies will also signal support via their social and digital platforms by prominently
featuring the Ukraine ribbon icon, with everyone in the tennis ecosystem encouraged to use thehashtag #Tennis Plays for Peace. In addition, physical ribbons will be distributed for ATP & WTA
players to wear at the upcoming BNP Paribas Open tournament in Indian Wells.
Ukrainian tennis players Elina Svitolina and Sergiy Stakhovsky, who has himself returned to
Ukraine to join the reserve army, have produced a powerful and emotive short video with amessage of hope for their country.
Tournaments and tennis federations across the world, along with the entire playing spectrum - fromjuniors, seniors and wheelchair athletes - will be sent a digital toolkit to further drive awarenessand support the relief efforts.
All seven organizations thank players, tournaments, staff and fans for their incredible efforts
already, and further plans for Tennis Plays for Peace will be communicated in the coming weeks.
On 16 June 2022 the ITF published the following statement125:

USTA statement regarding Russian and Belarusian players at the 2022 US OpenThe USTA will allow individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in the 2022 US Open,but only under a neutral flag. Alongside the other Grand Slams, the ITF, the ATP and the WTA, theUSTA, which owns and operates the US Open, has previously condemned, and continues tocondemn, the unprovoked and unjust invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The USTA, standing with theseother tennis entities, supported the banning of the Russian and Belarusian Tennis Federations fromthe ITF, and therefore all international team competitions, and the directive for players from thosecountries to play under a neutral flag when competing outside of international team competitions.
We recognize that each organization has had to deal with unique circumstances that affect theirdecisions. Based on our own circumstances, the USTA will allow all eligible players, regardless ofnationality, to compete at the 2022 US Open.
The USTA will work with the players and both Tours to use the US Open as a platform to further
the humanitarian effort of the “Tennis Plays for Peace” program. In addition, the USTA will
introduce a broad, comprehensive set of initiatives to amplify existing Ukrainian humanitarianefforts, including committing to significant financial support, for which details will be announced
soon.
Mike McNulty, USTA Chairman of the Board and President:“Tennis has done much through Tennis Plays for Peace for humanitarian support of Ukraine.
Unfortunately, the need for help only continues to grow. The USTA will be responding very soonwith a broad set of initiatives that will include significant financial assistance and other programs
to further support humanitarian relief and the people of Ukraine.”
125

Available on https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/tennis-family-unites-for-tennis-plays-for-peaceinitiative-to-support-ukraine/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
128

TRIATHLON – WORLD TRIATHLON

Overview:
World Triathlon will not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from participating ininternational competitions or official events. This decision is to be reviewed on a monthly basis
based on “how the situation evolves”.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 1 March 2022 the World Triathlon issued the following press release:126

World Triathlon bans participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials“World Triathlon stands in absolute solidarity with the Ukraine triathlon family and the entire
country at this time of grave international crisis. Following the recommendation by theInternational Olympic Committee, World Triathlon Executive Board has unanimously decided not
to allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes or officials in all international
competitions or official events, following the principles of the Olympic Charter. This decision will
be reviewed by the Executive Board at its monthly meetings in accordance with how the situation
evolves.
This extreme measure is taken to protect the integrity and safety of all athletes participating in theevents and the integrity of the global sports competitions.
Regarding the recommendation of the IOC not to organise any sports events in Russia or Belarus,
World Triathlon had previously suspended the Russian Triathlon Federation, due to the highnumber of doping cases, in December 2021 for one year, and no events were permitted to takeplace in the country in 2022. World Triathlon strongly condemns the actions against Ukraine taken
by Russia, through which the Russian government also breaches the Olympic Truce.
World Triathlon will work with Ironman and Challenge in order for them to follow theserecommendations as well.
World Triathlon has contacted all National Federations, especially those closest to Ukraine orbordering the country, as well as Europe Triathlon, to help coordinate our support to Ukrainian
athletes, coaches, officials and staff.
World Triathlon has set up an email account (welcome@triathlon.org) where members of theTriathlon community in Ukraine who are leaving the country or willing to do so, can reach out tofind families in other countries that are able to host them. The email address is also available forall prospective host persons anywhere in the world who can offer their support to those fleeing

126

Availableon
https://www.triathlon.org/news/article/world_triathlon_bans_participation_of_russian_and_belarusian_athletes_and_o#:~:text=Following%20the%20recommendation%20by%20the,principles%20of%20the%20
Olympic%20Charter (last visited on 23 June 2022).
129

Ukraine. World Triathlon will keep all contacts confidential but will help to put the parties in touchwith each other.
World Triathlon and Europe Triathlon are coordinating support for those in need in Ukraine, as
well as Ukrainian athletes and entourage who are abroad and either looking for support while
unable to return to their country, or to relocate near the border awaiting further development of thesituation. World Triathlon has already received more than 60 offers of assistance from all over theworld from individuals, clubs and Federations offering help, and we are already in touch with some
Ukrainian athletes and entourage that have requested this support.
World Triathlon has contacted the IOC task force monitoring the situation to offer our help tocoordinate humanitarian assistance to members of the Olympic Community in Ukraine - and more
specifically the Ukrainian triathlon family - where possible. We will continue to closely monitor thesituation in Ukraine and how it affects our community and events in the region. Athletes, officials,
coaches, staff and the TriathlonLive support personal based in Ukraine… you all have all our
support and we stand with you in these terrible times. Stay safe and take care”.

130

VOLLEYBALL – FIVB

Overview
The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has stripped Russia of hosting rights for this year's
men's Volleyball World Championship as well as the Volleyball Nations League (VNL). FIVB has
also suspended all Russian and Belarusian national teams, clubs and officials, as well as beach andsnow volleyball athletes, from its events until further notice.

Official Statements and Media Releases:
On 26 February 2022 the FIVB issued the following press release. 127
FIVB REMOVES VNL FROM RUSSIA
In response to the worsening situation in Ukraine, the FIVB has today informed the RussianVolleyball Federation that two rounds of the upcoming Volleyball Nations League (VNL) to beheld in Russia in June and July have been relocated with immediate effect.
The FIVB will continue to closely follow the situation and will review other events due to be heldin Russia, including the Men’s World Championship scheduled for the second semester of 2022.
The FIVB is listening to, and in touch with, its stakeholders including National Federations, andshares their grave concern for the people of Ukraine.
On 1 March 2022 the FIVB issued the following press release:128
FIVB VOLLEYBALL MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2022 TO BE REMOVED FROMRUSSIA
Following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, the FIVB remains gravely concerned by theescalating situation and for the safety of the people of Ukraine.
The FIVB Board of Administration has come to the conclusion that it would be impossible toprepare and stage the World Championships in Russia due to the war in Ukraine. It has
accordingly decided to remove from Russia the organisation of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s WorldChampionship scheduled to be held in August and September 2022.
The Russian Volleyball Federation and the Organising Committee Volleyball 2022 have been
informed accordingly.

127

Availableon
https://www.fivb.com/en/media/news_pressrelease/fivb%C2%A0removes%C2%A0vnl%
C2%A0from%C2%A0russia?id=96821 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
128
Available on https://www.fivb.com/en/media/news_pressrelease/fivb-volleyball-men’s-world-championship-2022to?id=96822 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
131

The FIVB will seek an alternative host nation(s) to ensure that the global Volleyball Family,
including the National Federations, athletes, officials and fans all feel safe and proud to participate
in a joyous and peaceful festival of sport.
On 1 March 2022 the FIVB issued the following press release.129

FIVB Declares Russia And Belarus Not Eligible For International And Continental
Competitions“The decision comes into force with immediate effect and until further notice
Following the initial decisions adopted by the FIVB to remove official events from Russia, the FIVB
Board of Administration has confirmed that all Russian and Belarusian national teams, clubs,
officials and beach volleyball and snow volleyball athletes are not eligible to participate in all
international and continental events until further notice.
The FIVB remains gravely concerned by the ongoing war in Ukraine and its horrific impact on the
lives of so many and stand in full solidarity with the volleyball community and people of Ukraine,and sincerely hopes a peaceful resolution can be found urgently”.

129

Availableon
https://www.fivb.com/en/about/news/fivb%C2%A0removes%C2%A0vnl%C2%A0from%
C2%A0russia?id=96821 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
132

PART IIINATIONAL SPORTS ASSOCIATIONSAUSTRALIAREPUBLIC OF BELARUS
BELGIUM
BRAZIL
CROATIACYPRUS
DENMARKECUADORENGLANDGHANA
GREECEITALY
KENYA
MALAYSIAREPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
THE NETHERLANDSNIGERIAJAPANPOLANDPORTUGALRUSSIASERBIAKINGDOM OF SPAINSWEDENSWITZERLAND
REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
UKRAINEREPUBLICA ORIENTAL DEL URUGUAY

133

AUSTRALIA
By Anthony Lo Surdo S.C.130 and Daniel Lo Surdo131

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
Australia has imposed autonomous sanctions in response to the Russian threat to the sovereignty
and territorial integrity of Ukraine. They were first imposed in 2014 and extended in 2015 and2022.
The Russia/Ukraine sanctions regime imposes measures extending to restrictions on: the export or
supply of certain goods; the import, purchase or transport of certain goods; certain commercial
activities; the provision of certain services; providing assets to designated persons or entities;
dealing with the assets of designated persons or entities and travel bans on designated persons.
Australian sanction laws apply to activities in Australia and to activities undertaken overseas byAustralian citizens and Australian-registered bodies corporate. In some circumstances, it may bepossible to obtain a permit from the Minister for Foreign Affairs to engage in an activity that would
otherwise be prohibited by a sanctions measure. The penalties for breach include up to ten years inprison and substantial fines.
Australia has also joined with 36 other countries in issuing a joint declaration on 3 March 2022
affirming its support for the position taken by international sports organisations that:● Russia and Belarus should not be permitted to host, bid for or be awarded any international
sporting events.
● Individual athletes selected by Russia and Belarus, administrators and teams representing
the Russian or Belarusian state should be banned from competing in other countries,
including those representing bodies, cities or brands that are effectively representing Russia
or Belarus, such as major football clubs.
● Wherever possible, appropriate actions should be taken to limit sponsorship and otherfinancial support from entities with links to the Russian or Belarusian states. 132
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) supports the International Olympic Committee’s
recommendation to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from international sporting
competitions.

130

Barrister | Arbitrator | Mediator; Arbitrator and Mediator, Court of Arbitration for Sport (Football and General Lists);
8 Wentworth Chambers, Sydney; Lonsdale Chambers, Melbourne; William Forster Chambers, Darwin; Outer Temple
Chambers, London and Dubai (www.silkmediator.com.au; losurdo@8wentworth.com.au)
131
Journalist, Sydney, Australia (www.daniellosurdo.com)
132
See the “England” section for a full summary of the joint declaration.
134

The AOC is urging member sports not to invite teams or athletes and officials from Russia andBelarus, or to rescind any invitations that may have been issued and to withdraw Australian athletes
and officials from any sports events where Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials may beparticipating.
The AOC also supported the resolution by the IOC to withdraw the Olympic Order from various
Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin.
Athletics Australia has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from Australian domestic
competition for the foreseeable future.
The AusCycling governing body has declared that no Russian or Belarusian national teams would
be permitted to compete in the UCI Road World Championships due to be held in Australia in
September, 2022.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
There is little, if any, known Russian sponsorship of sport in Australia.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
Not aware.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

135

BELGIUM
By Sébastien Ledure and Loïc Darcis133

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
As a member state of the European Union (“EU”), Belgium fully participates to all the restrictive
measures imposed on Russia by the EU, including the six (6) packages of sanctions against Russia
first introduced d.d. February 23, 2022.134
These sanctions include but are not limited to travel bans and asset freezings of the members of theRussian state Duma, the Russian government and Russian oligarchs, various trade restrictions, bansfor transactions with the Russian Central Bank, the exclusion of Russian banks from SWIFT andlogistical and military support to Ukraine.
On July 4, 2022, the Flemish, French-speaking and German-speaking Communities -which arecompetent for sports in Belgium- represented by Valérie Glatigny, participated to the “Second
statement on Russia’s war on Ukraine and international sport” released by the UK government,135
per which thirty-five (35) like-minded countries reiterated their government’s position that:“Russian and Belarusian sport national governing bodies should be suspended frominternational sport federations.
Individuals closely aligned to the Russian and Belarusian states, including but not limited togovernment officials, should be removed from positions of influence on international sport
federations, such as boards and organising committees.
National and international sports organisations should consider suspending thebroadcasting of sports competitions into Russia and Belarus.”

The participation to that statement evidences that the Belgian authorities recognise sports as apressuring mechanism against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, besides the sanctions imposed by
the EU.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
The Belgian Olympic Interfederal Committee (“BOIC”) issued a press release strongly condemning
the Russian breach of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. 136 As a part of the Olympic movement, it is
one of the BOIC’s purposes to strive for peace through sports. In its press release, the BOIC points
out that the Russian invasion of Ukraine amounts to a breach of the United Nation’s Olympic Truce
Resolution, according to which all signatory states shall maintain peace, particularly during the133

Sébastien Ledure is a Belgian sports lawyer based in Brussels (Belgium), where he is managing partner of Cresta theSports Law Firm. He is a board member of AIAF (Association Internationale des Avocats du Football). Loïc Darcis is a
Belgian sports lawyer based in Brussels (Belgium), where he is associate of Cresta the Sports Law Firm.
134
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/sanctions/restrictive-measures-against-russia-over-ukraine/historyrestrictive-measures-against-russia-over-ukraine/
135
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/second-statement-on-russias-war-on-ukraine-and-international-sport136
https://teambelgium.be/nl/artikel/het-boic-veroordeelt-ten-strengste-de-militaire-aanval-van-rusland-op-oekraine;136period going from seven (7) days before and seven (7) days after any Olympic or Paralympic(winter) Games. 137
In accordance with the IOC, the BOIC requested its national sporting federations to annul or
postpone any participation to sporting competitions in Russia and Belarus. The equestrian-138, table
tennis-139 and football140 federation, amongst others, publicly stated they would adhere to said
request and condemned the Rusian invasion of Ukraine.
Besides focussing on the restrictive measures taken by the Belgian sporting federations, it must be
applauded that the federations also endeavoured to utilise their role as societal actors to help theintegration of Ukrainian refugees coming to Belgium, especially for minors, by facilitating
membership requirement, through a lowering of membership fees, allowing of registrating outsideof registration periods, supporting participating clubs, etc.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
Even though the circumstances are not similar, Belgium once played an important sporting role
during the diplomatic crisis between Russia and Israel in the seventies. After a decade of diplomatic
turmoil, the Russian club CSKA Moscow and Israelian club Maccabi Tel-Aviv were unable to play
the semi-final of the FIBA European Champions Cup due to political reasons. In the end, the small
Belgian town of Virton hosted the game on neutral ground, which became one of the mostlegendary events in Israeli sporting history in a true David and Goliath win for Maccabi that went
on to win the Champions Cup. 141 Today, however, such a solution would not be possible as Russian
clubs have been disqualified from European club competitions across different team sports.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
There has not been such a reaction due to the mere fact that no Belgian federation nor club issponsored by Russian companies. However, it must be noted that Cercle Brugge, the only Belgian
football club under Russian ownership, has not been adversiliy affected by the restrictive measurestaken by the relevant authorities. On the contrary, the club made sure to donate to the Red Cross forhumanitarian help in Ukraine, realising that it would come under scrutiny of its non-Russian
stakeholders.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia ? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country ?
National team basketball players Julie Van Loo (former Krasnojarsk) and Emma Meesseman(former Jekaterinenburg) left their respective Russian clubs after their disqualification from theEuropean club competitions, while two other national team players decided to stay in Russia. As
such, the consequences for Belgian nationals in Russia need to be analysed on a case-by-case basis
137

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N21/368/53/PDF/N2136853.pdf?OpenElement
https://paardensport.vlaanderen/nl/nieuws/Algemeen-KBRSF-Paardensport-Vlaanderen-en-LEWB-veroordelenmilitaire-aanval-van-Rusland-op-Oekraine
139
https://www.vttl.be/oorlog-oekra%C3%AFne
140
https://www.rbfa.be/nl/nieuws/conflict-oekraine-statement-van-de-kbvb
141
Joseph Siegman (2000), “Jewish sports legends: the International Jewish Hall of Fame”.
138

137

taking into account the player’s personality and the pressure exercised on that player. Frompractical experience, high-profile players are generally more likely to be subject to external social
and/or political pressure exercised by federations, (social) media and sponsors, which makes themmore prone to leaving their club in case of a crisis.
The Belgian authorities did not impose any specific restrictions on Russian athletes exercising theirsporting activities on the Belgian territory. Nevertheless, the restrictions imposed by sporting
federations organising events on Belgian territory were not disputed by the Belgian authorities. For
instance, (i) Russian and Belarussian cyclists participating to the Belgian classic races in springwere only allowed to participate under a white flag, as imposed by the UCI and (ii) the Russian andBelarussian national teams were excluded to participate to the 3x3 basketball World Championships
in Antwerp.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

138

REPUBLIC OF BELARUS
By Dr. Aliaksandr Danilevich142 and Master of Law Maryia Zhurava143

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
The Belarusian government currently led by Aliaksandr Lukashneko has not introduced any
provisions, measures or sanctions in response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
On the contrary, the international community recognised the current Belarusian authorities as apartner in crimes committed by Putin in Ukraine144 This is due to Belarus’s support of the RussianFederation’s violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, which constitutes agrave breach of international peace and security that has resulted in a serious international crisis.
Consequently, according to the statements and regulations issued by those democratic states,
sanctions on Russia must be mirrored for Belarus.145 With regard to the international criminal
liability, G-7 leaders have already stated that Lukashenko regime in Belarus shall be held
accountable for its actions in its aggression towards Ukraine accordance with international law. 146
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
There have been no provisions, measures or sanctions introduced by National Olympic Committeeof the Republic of Belarus (NOC Belarus) or any other national federation. On the contrary, thesanctions have been imposed on Belarusian sport.
On February 25, 2022, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC EB)
urged all International Federations to relocate or cancel their sports events currently planned in
Russia or Belarus.147
142

Belarusian sports lawyer, CAS arbitrator, Partner at Danilevich Law Office.
Belarusian sports lawyer, disciplinary officer of Rugby Europe.
144
European Parliament resolution of 19 May 2022 on the prosecution of the opposition and the detention of tradeunion leaders in Belarus (2022/2664(RSP)): https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-20220215_EN.html (last visited on 23 June 2022).
Resolution on the aggression of russia and Belarus against Ukraine of Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania:
https://e-seimas.lrs.lt/portal/legalAct/lt/TAP/cf09e8b0957811ec9e62f960e3ee1cb6 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
145
European Parliament resolution of 19 May 2022 on the prosecution of the opposition and the detention of tradeunion leaders in Belarus (2022/2664(RSP)): https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-20220215_EN.html (last visited on 23 June 2022).
EU
fifthpackagesofrestrictive
measuresagainstRussia:https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_2332 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
EU
sixth
packagesofrestrictive
measuresagainstRussia:https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_2802
US sanctions on Bealrus: https://www.state.gov/belarus-sanctions/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
Special Economic Measures (Belarus) Regulations: https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2020214/FullText.html (last visited on 23 June 2022).
146
G7 Leaders’ Statement: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/08/g7-leadersstatement-2/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
147
EB IOC Decision: https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-urges-all-ifs-to-relocate-or-cancel-their-sports-eventscurrently-planned-in-russia-or-belarus (last visited on 23 June 2022).
143

139

On February 28, 2022, IOC EB developed a resolution, including inter alia the recommendations
that:148● International sports federations and sports event organisers not invite or allow theparticipation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.
● Russian or Belarusian nationals, whether as individuals or teams, should be accepted only as
neutral athletes or neutral teams. No national symbols, colours, flags or anthems should be
displayed.
● The IOC EB maintain its urgent recommendation not to organise any sports event in Russia
or Belarus, which it had issued on 25 February 2022.
Consequently, the international sports federations followed the recommendations of the IOC EB
and separately introduced sanctions on Belarusian sport: some of included the total ban on the
representation of Belarus in the international sports arena, while others limited conditions of suchparticipation.
For instance, Rugby Europe decided to suspend the Rugby Union of Belarus from membership ofRugby Europe and from participating in all continental rugby competitions at all age grades.149 At
the same time, UEFA’s decision was limited to banning Belarus from playing international matches
at home and to stop Belarusian teams from facing Ukraine. 150
As a result, the Belarusian and Russian sports authorities took the decision to deepen RussianBelarusian sports cooperation and increase the organisation of competitions. 151
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
To the best of our knowledge, there are no such precedents.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
There has been no reactions. There are not a lot of Russian sponsors in Belarusian sport. However,those that sponsor sport in Belarus continue to finance it, for instance Fonbet, Russian betting
company, is a sponsor of Belarusian FC “BATE Borisov”.

148

EB IOC Decision: https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-recommends-no-participation-of-russian-and-belarusianathletes-and-officials (last visited on 23 June 2022).
149
Following the initial decisions communicated at the end of February, the Rugby Europe Board of Directors gatheredon 1 March to decide on the additional sanctions following the ongoing Russian military invasion of Ukraine and therelated support of Belarus: https://www.rugbyeurope.eu/news/rugby-europe-statement-russia-and-belarus-suspension/(last visited on 23 June 2022).
150
UEFA Statements: https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/mediaservices/mediareleases/news/0272-148740475a921b97baa3e9d7-1000--decisions-from-today-s-extraordinary-uefa-executive-committee-m/;https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/mediaservices/mediareleases/news/0275-153ea78d3e8e-5758f9cec33b-1000--teamsfrom-belarus-and-ukraine-prevented-from-being-drawn-again/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
151
Belarus, Russia to develop ski sports together: https://www.noc.by/en/news/belarus-russia-to-develop-ski-sportstogether/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
Joint meeting of Athletes Commissions of NOC of Belarus and ROC in Minsk: https://www.noc.by/en/news/jointmeeting-of-athletes-commissions-of-noc-of-belarus-and-roc-in-minsk/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
The Ministries of Sport of Belarus and Russia held the meeting on cooperation: https://www.noc.by/en/news/maintakeaways-of-meeting-of-collegiums-of-sports-ministries-of-belarus-russia-/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
140

5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country ?
To the best of our knowledge, there are no such consequences. The Belarusian and Russian athletes
could play in each other’s country without any contractual/economic/social/political consequences.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
Belarusian sport have been under a range of sanctions since 2020. As a consequence, after 9 August
2020, the political overtone taken by the sports organisations strengthened and the discrimination of
athletes and sports specialists started. The basis for such discrimination was the enjoinment of thefundamental human right to express an opinion: in case of Belarus, it was the opinion contrary tothat laid by the Lukashenko Presidency.
The IOC determined the multiple cases of discrimination in Belarusian sport and has come to theconclusion that the current NOC Belarus leadership has not appropriately protected the Belarusianathletes from political discrimination within the NOC Belarus, their member sports federations or
the sports movement. This is contrary to the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter, andtherefore seriously affects the reputation of the Olympic Movement.
As a result, two packages of provisional measures were implemented by the IOC towards NOC
Belarus, including the measure of non-recognition of Viktor Lukashenko to be an elected NOC
President.152

152

Full text of the IOC decisions could be found by the link: DC-P2-NOC-of-Belarus-7-December-2020.pdf(olympic.org); https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-decides-further-provisional-measures-against-noc-of-belarus (lastvisited on 23 June 2022).
141

BRAZIL
By Stefano Malvestio and Vitor Hugo Almeida153

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
Brazil has adopted a rather neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war since the beginning of theconflict, also in light of the friendly relationship between the two presidents Jair Bolsonaro and
Vladmir Putin. Indeed, Brazil has for instance recently decided to abstain in the vote that decided on
the suspension of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.
Despite this, the Brazilian Ministry of Relations had previously voted in favor of the resolution
which condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the UN General Assembly.
In a recent letter, the Brazilian government reaffirmed the need to seek a negotiated solution, thattakes into consideration the legitimate security interests of Russia and Ukraine.
Therefore, we do not expect the imposition of any sanction from the Brazilian government against
Russia in the immediate future.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
The Brazilian Olympic Committee (CBF) and Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) have notannounced any specific sanctions or measures in response to the war. The South American Football
Confederation (CONMEBOL), however, has supported FIFA in the sanctions announced against
Russia.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
During World War II, one of the most traditional football teams in Brazil at the time was “Palestra
Itália”, which was originally formed by Italian immigrants based in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte.
However, since the team’s name made reference to Italy, a Brazilian rival in World War II, theBrazilian government pressed for a name change, thus the São Paulo branch was renamed to“Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras” and the Belo Horizonte´s branch was renamed to “Cruzeiro
Esporte Clube”, which, until nowadays, have both remained as two of the most traditional andsuccessful clubs in Brazilian football.

4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?

153

Lawyers at Bichara e Motta
vitor.almeida@bicharaemotta.com.br.

Advogados.

E-mails:

stefano.malvestio@bicharaemotta.com.br

and
142

There aren´t any Russian sponsors in Brazilian clubs or federations.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
Brazil has the evergrowing quality of being a great exporter of talents to the whole world, andRussia and Ukraine have, in the last decade, been among the main destinations.
For that reason, many Brazilian players were impacted by the war. An emblematic case was that of
the 13 Brazilian players who played for the Ukranian club Shakhtar Donetsk and, after terrifying
nights locked up in a hotel in Kiev, were forced to leave the Ukranian capital in a convoy which ledthem to the border with Poland, from where they managed to return to Brazil.
One of them, the striker Junior Moraes, faced an even more difficult situation, as he had recently
concluded the naturalization process in Ukraine in order to be eligible to play for their national
team. Due to this he was reportedly called by the Ukrainian army to fight in the war; at the end,
however, Moraes managed to leave Ukraine and is currently playing for Corinthians.
Besides him, there were many other Brazilian athletes who played in Russia and/or Ukraine andreturned to play in “Brasileirão”, either on loan or permanently, as a result of the war, such as theplayers Pablo and Ayrton Lucas, who left Lokomotiv Moscow and Spartak Moscow respectively tojoin Flamengo, and the players Maycon and Alan Patrick, who left Shakhtar Donetsk to sign withCorinthians and Internacional respectively.
Initially, during the outbreak of the war, Brazil was one of the few countries in the world that had
its international registration period open. Therefore, Brazil presented itself as one of the best
opportunities available for players playing in Russia and Ukraine who wanted to leave saidcountries. Nonetheless, the “Temporary rules addressing the exceptional situation deriving from thewar in Ukraine” announced by FIFA on 7 March 2022 made it possible for such players to transfer
to other countries as well.
On the other hand, there have also been cases of Brazilian players who had transfers to Ukraine
agreed but which fell through because of the outbreak of war. This situation led to discussions onwhether the player could justifiably refuse to join the club or if this would represent a contractual
breach.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
There are Brazilian players who play in Ukraine and are trying to be transferred/loaned to Brazil
while the Ukranian League is suspended. However, at the moment, they are not allowed to do so as
the Brazilian international registration period closed on 12 April 2022 and FIFA Special
Regulations allowed the registration only until 7 April 2022.
It can therefore be fairly said that the FIFA Special Regulations had no impact on the possibility for
Brazilian clubs to exceptionally register players coming from Ukraine or Russia, since theregistration period was open until 12 April 2022 anyway.
It would thererore be reasonable for FIFA to consider re-opening the registration period for players
coming from Ukraine or Russia, at least for countries like Brazil, whose season follows the annual
calendar, since, in these cases, the national championship has just begun and, therefore, the143permission for these players to be registered would not have any negateve impact on the integrityand balance of the competition.

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CROATIA
By Vanja Smokvina154 and Krešimir Šamija155

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
Like other EU member states, Croatia participates in EU sanctions against Russia. These include theclosure of EU airspace to Russian-owned and controlled aircraft, the blocking of major Russianbanks from the global payment system SWIFT, and the prohibition of all transactions with theRussian Central Bank. It should be emphasised that the Croatian Postbank (HPB) took over theRussian Sberbank Croatia and that the Croatian government managed to ensure this transaction in arecord short time. Based on the EU sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, Croatia has
also blocked the assets, more precisely the real estate of Russian citizens in Croatia, mostly locatedon the Adriatic coast.
The Republic of Croatia undoubtedly supported the suspension of Russia from the UN World
Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), which was voted on the Extraordinary General Assembly of the
UNWTO, held on 27 April 2022 in Madrid.
On 23 February 2022, the Polish Minister of Sport, Mr. Kamil Bortniczuk sent a letter to all EU
Ministers for Sport, announcing that joint action should be taken, as soon as possible to limit any
cooperation with the Government of the Russian Federation within the area of responsibility of the
Ministry of Sport.
Ms. Nadine Dorries (UK minister for Culture, Sports, Digital Affairs and Media) called for aministerial meeting at the beginning of March this year while a draft of the joint Statement was sent
to all EU member states, stating, among other things, that ministers should not allow Russia andBelarus to host or compete in any international sport event. In addition, the joinr Statement asserted
that individual athletes selected by Russia and Belarus, administrators and teams representing theRussian or Belarusian state should be banned from competing in other countries, including those
representing bodies, cities or brands that are effectively representing Russia or Belarus, such as
major football clubs etc. Also, wherever possible, appropriate actions should be taken to limit
sponsorship and other financial support from entities with links to the Russian or Belarusian states.
At the same time, an invitation was sent to all international sports federations to agree with theseprinciples, as well as to welcome organizations that have already reacted in similar ways.
The Republic of Croatia highly appreciates the UK initiative to mobilize the sports movement
during the escalating Russian aggression to Ukraine. On behalf of Croatia, Ms. Nikolina Brnjac,
minister of tourism and sport, signed the joint Statement on Russia’s war on Ukraine &international sport. Croatia were among 37 countries who supported this initiative.
In this context, the Republic of Croatia strongly welcomes and supports a common position
between the EU and other like-minded countries, as well as the principles contained in the joint

154

Associate Professor and Head of the Sports Law, Sports Policies and Sports Diplomacy Centre at the University of
Rijeka, Faculty of Law. E-mail: vanja.smokvina@pravri.uniri.hr
155
PhD., Director – General, Sport Unit, Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Government of the Republic of Croatia.
E-mail: kresimir.samija@mints.hr
145

Statement. Croatia will certainly continue to make efforts in this regard and continue thecooperation to support these principles.
Other provisions instead aim to make it easier for people from Ukraine to enter the country. Croatia,
as an EU Member State, has applied Council Implementing Decision 2022/384156 to help people
fleeing the war in Ukraine. The Directive allows refugees from Ukraine to enter Croatia and receive
certain benefits without having to apply for asylum. In addition, the Croatian Ministry of Interior
has launched an online portal that provides information about newly arriving refugees from Ukraine
and their rights and entitlements, as well as opportunities for potential civil society volunteers whowish to get involved. The website is available in both Croatian and Ukrainian and is updated daily
to ensure that all information provided is in line with current national, local and international
developments.157
So far, almost 19,000 Ukrainians have found their temporary home in Croatia. The Croatian
Government has provided them with the necessary services such as health care, social welfare,
integration into the labour market and inclusion in education, also covering the costs of private
accommodation and utilities for refugees in the amount of € 480.00 (HRK 3.600,00) per month.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports associations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
The actions of sports federations focused on supporting Ukrainian athletes. The National Olympic
Committee of Croatia (NOC of Croatia) in February 2022 gave Ukrainian athletes the opportunity
to continue training and playing sports with the help of national sports federations as its members,
as supported by the European Olympic Committees.158-159 Each national sports federation will takecare of Ukrainian athletes in coordination with the NOC of Croatia.160 This support was provided,for example, by the Croatian Rowing Federation,161 the Croatian Volleyball Federation, 162 theCroatian Boxing Federation and the Croatian Diving Federation. 163 The Croatian Football156

Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382 of 4 March 2022 establishing the existence of a mass influx ofdisplaced persons from Ukraine within the meaning of Article 5 of Directive 2001/55/EC, and having the effect of
introducing temporary protection, OJ L 71, 4.3.2022, p. 1–6.
157
Croatian for Ukraine (In Croatian: Hrvatska za Ukrajinu), available at: https://hrvatskazaukrajinu.gov.hr/.
Accessed 10-05-2022.
158
EOC Statement in support of Ukraine, 28-02-2022, available at: https://www.eurolympic.org/eoc-statement-insupport-of-ukraine/. Accessed 11-05-2022.
159
EOC Expresses gratitude to European NOCs for their support of Ukraine, available at:https://www.eurolympic.org/eoc-expresses-gratitude-to-european-nocs-for-their-support-of-ukraine/. Accessed 20-052022.
160
NOC of Croatia Assembly: Each sports federation will also take care of athletes from Ukraine (In Croatian:
Skupština HOO-a: Svaki sportski savez skrbit će i o sportaši(ca)ma iz Ukrajine), available at:https://hoo.hr/hr/olimpizam/olimpijske-vijesti/7116-skupstina-hoo-a-svaki-sportski-savez-skrbit-ce-i-o-sportasima-izukrajine. Accessed 10-05-2022.
161
CRF and NOC gave unreserved support to Ukrainian rowers who are preparing in Croatia (In Croatian: HOO i HVSdali bezrezervnu podršku ukrajinskim veslači(ca)ma koji su na pripremama u Hrvatskoj), available at:https://www.hoo.hr/hr/olimpizam/medunarodna-suradnja/7198-hoo-i-hvs-priredili-druzenje-na-kojem-su-dalibezrezervnu-podrsku-ukrajinskim-veslaci-ca-ma-u-hrvatskoj. Accessed 20-05-2022.
162
CVF and NOC welcomed Ukrainian volleyball players at the Airport who arrived in Nedelišće for one-monthpreparations (In Croatian: HOS i HOO dočekali u Zračnoj luci ukrajinske odbojkašice koje su stigle na jednomjesečne
pripreme u Nedelišće), available at: https://www.hoo.hr/hr/hrvatski-olimpijski-odbor/nacionalni-sportski-savezi/112savezi-olimpijskih-sportova/hrvatska-odbojkaski-savez/7180-hos-i-hoo-docekali-u-zracnoj-luci-ukrajinske-odbojkasicekoje-su-stigle-na-jednomjesecne-pripreme-u-nedelisce. Accessed 18-05-2022.
163
Help to Ukrainian athletes - boxers and divers arrive (In Croatian: Pomoć ukrajinskim sportaši(ca)ma - stižu boksači
i skakači(ce) u vodu), available at: https://www.hoo.hr/hr/olimpizam/medunarodna-suradnja/7129-pomoc-ukrajinskimsportasi-ca-ma-stizu-boksaci-i-skakac-ic-e-u-vodu. Accessed 20-05-2022.
146

Federation gave a lot of support to Ukraine by condemning the Russian invasion and showing
solidarity with the Ukrainian people. At the beginning of March, at every 26th round match of
Croatian Men's First League, the players showed a sign “Croatian football with Ukraine”.164
Furthermore, the Croatian Football Federation facilitated the registration of players from Ukraine
and, at the same time, reopened the transfer market window for players from Russia and Ukraine inaccordance with FIFA guidelines.165
On May 11, 2022, the Croatian National Olympic Committee (NOC) announced that 157 athletes
from Ukraine are training and preparing in 13 sports in Croatia. 166
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
To the best of our knowledge, there are no precedents.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
None, due to the lack of sponsors linked to Russian companies.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
Some Croatian athletes have been indirectly affected by the measures taken by the international
sports federations against the Russian sports federations. They have been prevented fromparticipating in certain competitions because events that were supposed to take place in Russia havebeen cancelled (e.g. the Gymnastics World Tour) or Russian teams have been excluded fromofficial competitions (e.g. in football FC Zenit’s Dejan Lovren & FC Dynamo Moscow’s Nikola
Moro).
On the other hand, Croats who work or play in Ukrainian sports teams are also affected by theconsequences of the conflict. One of the best known is the former captain of the Croatian national
football team, Darijo Srna, who currently is the director of the Ukraine side Shakhtar Donetsk andhas publicly participated in vocal propaganda against the war in Ukraine. 167
Russian players playing for Croatian teams have not faced any direct consequences. Russian
athletes who wish to participate in international events in Croatia, on the other hand, must expect
164

Solidarity in action, Croatian stands by Ukraine (In Croatian: Solidarnost na djelu, hrvatski nogomet uz Ukrajinu),
available at: https://hns-cff.hr/en/news/23810/croatian-football-stands-by-ukraine/. Accessed 20-05-2022.
165
FIFA Circular No. 1788 (In Croatian: FIFA Cirkularno pismo br. 1788), available athttps://hns-cff.hr/files/documents/23629/FIFA%20Cirkularno%20pismo%20br.%201788%20%20Daljnje%20privremene%20izmjene%20Pravilnika%20o%20statusu%20i%20transferima%20igra%C4%8Da%20(RSTP)%20%20kojima%20s
e%20daje%20poja%C5%A1njenje%20u%20pogledu%20kretanja%20ukrajinskih%20igra%C4%8Da%20(Dodatak%20
7).pdf. Accessed 20-05-2022.
166
NOC and CRF gave unreserved support to Ukrainian rowers who are preparing in Croatia (In Croatian: HOO i HVSdali bezrezervnu podršku ukrajinskim veslači(ca)ma koji su na pripremama u Hrvatskoj), available at:https://www.hoo.hr/hr/olimpizam/medunarodna-suradnja/7198-hoo-i-hvs-priredili-druzenje-na-kojem-su-dalibezrezervnu-podrsku-ukrajinskim-veslaci-ca-ma-u-hrvatskoj. Accessed 20-05-2022.
167
Miror, Croatia legend Darijo Srna explains Ukraine evacuation “chaos” as UEFA chief intervened, available at:https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/srna-shakhtar-ukraine-evacuation-war-26422927. Accessed 19-05-2022.
147

measures from the relevant international sports federation that may limit their participation in such
events.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
At all sports competitions, federations, athletes and fans have openly expressed their solidarity with
Ukrainian athletes. Since football is the most popular sport in Croatia, several initiatives to promotesolidarity were carried out by the Croatian Football Federation and Croatian clubs. In addition to theaforementioned slogan at the beginning of the 26th round of the Croatian Men's First League, theCroatian Football Federation hosted a delegation from Ukrainian football club Dynamo Kiev,168
which also played a charity match against Dinamo Zagreb.169 Croatian football club Hajduk Split
played a charity match against football club Shakhtar Donetsk, both former clubs of Darijo Srna,170
while Croatian football club Rijeka played a match against the Ukrainian national team. 171

168

Support to Ukraine, Kustić with associates welcomed the delegation of Dynamo Kiev (In Croatian: Podrška Ukrajini,
Kustić sa suradnicima primio delegaciju kijevskog Dynama), available at: https://hns-cff.hr/news/24038/kustic-sasuradnicima-primio-delegaciju-kijevskog-dynama/. Accessed 20-05-2022.
169
Charity match to help friends from Ukraine (In Croatian: Humanitarna utakmica za pomoć prijateljima iz Ukrajine),availableat:https://gnkdinamo.hr/hr/Novosti/Clanak/humanitarna-utakmica-za-pomoc-prijateljima-iz-ukrajine.
Accessed 20-05-2022.
170
Hajduk and Shakhtar Donetsk Play 'Football for Peace' Humanitarian Friendly in Split, available at:https://www.total-croatia-news.com/sport/62477-hajduk-and-shakhtar-donetsk. Accessed 20-05-2022.
171
Rijeka in a charity match hosted the Ukraine national team (In Croatian: Rijeka u humanitarnoj utakmici ugostila
Ukrajinu), available at: https://hns-cff.hr/news/24135/rijeka-u-humanitarnoj-utakmici-ugostila-ukrajinu/. Accessed 2005-2022.
148

CYPRUS
By Loizos Hadjidemetriou172

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
Since the collapse of the USSR, Cyprus has been one of the most favourable destinations for both
Russians and Ukrainians, not only for touristic purposes but also for business. This was primarily
because of the country’s low corporate tax (currently 12.5%) but also due to the fact that bothcountries share the same religion, i.e. Christian Orthodox. During the last few decades, there havebeen many Russian and Ukrainian businesses based in Cyprus and, as a result, the country’s
economy is materially influenced by the capital passing through these companies and the Cyprus
banks. Many Russian and Ukrainian nationals have also acquired citizenship of Cyprus, making
them EU citizens as well.
Nevertheless, Cyprus is also an EU member state and therefore could not refrain from
implementing all the sanctions which the EU decided to impose on Russian businesses, oligarchs
and individuals.
Consequently, all EU measures were fully applied and adopted by the Cyprus government as well.
Not only that but about one month after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of thevarious measures and restrictions on Russian oligarchs and Russian capital, a local bank with
Russian interests, RCB Cyprus, was forced under political pressure to terminate its operations by
selling its assets and loans, and returning deposits to their owners.
Property belonging to a small number of Russian oligarchs, including estates, yachts and capital,
has also been seized by the authorities.
Separately, the Cyprus government has adopted a number of measures to assist and support
refugees coming from Ukraine.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
On a sporting level, the Cyprus Football Association did not permit any international transfers from
Russia and Ukraine, outside its fixed registration periods, despite the provisions of Annex 7 of theFIFA RSTP.
No other sport associations, or the National Olympic Committee, have implemented any specificmeasures related to the war in Ukraine.
Traditionally, there have been very few or no athletic ties at all between Cyprus and Russia or
Ukraine; neither were there any real possibilities for Russian or Ukrainian athletes (or foreigners
playing in those countries) to move to Cyprus for sporting reasons. As a result, the sporting
landscape of Cyprus was not affected in any way by the invasion.
172

Sports Lawyer.
149

3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No, the current situation is unprecedented and there has never been anything similar.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
One club in Cyprus, Pafos FC, has been owned by two Russians (Sergey Lomakin and Roman
Dubov) for approximately five years and another club, Aris Limassol FC, has been owned by a
Belarussian (Vladimir Federov) for under one year. These clubs used to be small first division clubs
but with the foreign investment they succeeded building strong and competitive teams which,finished 4th and 6th in the 2021-22 championship. What is more, another Russian investor has
recently acquired control of another small first division club. The company which he set up to
manage the club has not yet been licenced by the CFA but there should not be any problem because
rumors say that this individual has been living and operating in Cyprus for many years now.
Until today, the owners of the first two clubs do not seem to have been in any way affected by themeasures adopted internationally against Russians and Russian capital with close ties to the Russian
government.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country ?
At present, there are no Cypriot athletes working in Russia. Neither are there any Russian nationals
playing in Cyprus.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
There are a small number of Ukrainians playing in Cyprus, one of whom is in the team owned by
two Russians. These athletes have openly expressed, during football matches, their support for
Ukraine by carrying the Ukraine flag before and after the match, including the Ukrainian playing in
the team owned by the two Russian individuals.
The Cypriots are very sympathetic with the Ukrainians and many people relate this invasion and theRussian reason for it with the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 which was also based on a similar
premise (that the invasion was to protect the Turkish minority of Cyprus).

150

DENMARK
By Lars Hilliger and Morten Bro173

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU has adopted a series of sanctions packages
against Russia and Belarus, imposing export and import bans and financial sanctions. As an EU
Member State, Denmark is covered by the sanctions packages that have been adopted as thesituation evolves. In connection with the roll-out of sanctions, the Danish Government hasannounced that it advocates the most severe sanctions against Russia as possible.
Denmark has also partnered with a large number of countries, including Germany, France, theUnited Kingdom and the United States, on a joint statement announcing the banning of Russia andBelarus from sporting events. The statement sets out the position that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
constitutes an unacceptable and outrageous breach of international obligations and that sport is avital tool in holding Russia accountable.
Furthermore, Denmark has enacted a bill to make it easier for Ukrainian refugees to obtainresidence permits in Denmark. The new Act on Temporary Residence Permit for Persons expelledfrom Ukraine suspends and departs from the current asylum rules. Ukrainians who are granted
residence permits under the special statute are, for instance, exempt from the requirement of a work
permit and can therefore start working as soon as they have obtained their residence permits under
the special statute.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
The overarching governing body for competitive sports, the National Olympic Committee andSports Confederation of Denmark (DIF), has publicly announced that:“Russia and Belarus should be banned from all international sports and sporting
relations.”
In this context, DIF has called on both confederations and clubs not to have any sporting relations
with Russia or Belarus in Denmark and has also called on the international federations to ban
Russia and Belarus from all sporting relations. However, to the best of our knowledge, no actual
legal initiatives have been launched by the confederation in this regard.
Moreover, DIF has heightened its focus on the integration of refugees, including refugees from
Ukraine, through sports, for instance through the “get2sport” approach, which aims to ensure thesmooth functioning of sports associations by relieving the volunteers in sports associations in
disadvantaged neighbourhoods, allowing the volunteers to concentrate on training sessions and club
operations rather than dealing with practical and social problems.
173

Attorneys-at-law with Advice Law Firm in Copenhagen, Denmark, who have made sports law their specialist
practice area. Lars Hilliger is an arbitrator with the CAS and Chairman of the Appeals Panel for the Danish FA Club
Licensing System, and Morten Bro is Chairman of the Appeals Panel for the Danish Squash Federation.
151

With regard to football, and in compliance with FIFA’s “temporary rules addressing theexceptional situation deriving from the war in Ukraine”, the Danish League urgently adopted a newcircular that was specifically targeted at international players from the leagues in Ukraine andRussia and gave all Danish clubs the opportunity to sign contracts with one international playerfrom the Ukrainian and Russian leagues on an ongoing basis until the end of the 2021/22 season, ina limited transfer window during the period ending on Thursday, 31 March 2022.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
On 30 May 1992, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 757, which called on all
Member States to take various measures against the remaining vestiges of the former Yugoslavia,
i.e. Serbia and Montenegro. A sporting boycott of Serbia and Montenegro was included in the
resolution text (this meant, among other effects, that UEFA excluded the national team from theEuropean Football Championships final round in 1992, for which the team had already qualified,
and that Denmark was added into the tournament at short notice and later took home thechampionship trophy):“(b) Take the necessary steps to prevent the participation in
sporting events on their territory of persons or groups
representing the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia andMontenegro);”Unlike the other embargo areas (trade, capital transfers, transport, etc.), the Danish Government did
not introduce any penalties/sanctions for failure to abide by the request in the resolution text to backa sporting boycott of Serbia and Montenegro, but at the same time recommended that the resolution
be complied with. DIF decided to follow the sporting boycott as recommended by the United
Nations and the Danish Parliament, announcing in this regard that the Danish sports community
should take social responsibility by complying with Parliament’s foreign policy line. In thesecircumstances, DIF instructed its special confederations and their members to follow the text of theresolution, but in the sense that the instruction would only apply to athletes representing“Yugoslavia”.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
None, due to the lack of any essential sponsors linked to Russian companies.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
The vast majority of Danish professional athletes left Russia after the country invaded Ukraine.
However, a few professional Danish athletes have chosen so far to stay in Russia, without thishaving apparently had any visible consequences, apart from surprise in the general population.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?

152

It is considered that the Danish population generally supports the above sanctions and measures in
the light of the current unfortunate situation.

153

ECUADOR
By Santiago José Zambrano Solano174

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
The Ecuadorian government has rejected the position chosen by Russia and condemned theinvasion of Ukraine . Our government has taken the following measures:● Ecuador expelled Russia from UN Human Rights Council.
● It has decided to export Ecuadorian products to the European Union (banana and shrimp)
instead of sending them to Russia.
● Petroecuador (Ecuadorian Petroleum Agency) has prohibited the acceptance of shipments ofRussian origin by their fuel suppliers.
● Provided humanitarian flights to all Ecuadorians living in Ukraine.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
The Ecuadorian Olympic Committee has followed the guidelines given by Panam Sports
Organization and accepted them. As part of this, the Ecuadorian Olympic Committee has taken thefollowing measures:● Banned of all Russian or Belarussian athletes from any sport tournaments inside Ecuadorian
territory.
● Prohibited participation in sports events organized by Russia or Belarus.
● Shown solidarity with Ukraine and all its athletes.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
So far there has been no reaction.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?

174

Founder of Conlegal Sports & Entertainment in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Santiago Zambrano is specialized ininternational and domestic sports law, working with first, second and third division clubs, intermediaries, players andinternational confederations.
154

Ecuador has 3 players with relation to Russia and Ukraine and their situations have all beendifferent.
Russia.● Christian Noboa: Current player from FK Sochi with a contract until 2023, still playing at
Russian Premier League. There have been no consequences for him to date.
● Christian Ramirez: Current player from FC Krasnodar with a contract until 2025, stillplaying at Russian Premier League. There have been no consequences for him to date.
Ukraine.● Juan Cazares: Signed a contract with Metalist Kharviv on April 2022. Current player fromIndependiente de Avellaneda, in Argentina, on loan from Metalist Kharviv in Ukraine forone year with a buy-out clause. He had to be transferred to Argentina on loan because of thesituation in Ukraine.
Ecuador.We don´t have any Russian athletes playing in our country.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

155

ENGLAND
By Chris Anderson175

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
Whilst recognising the principle of autonomy of governing bodies over their own governanceprocesses, the UK Government has taken a strong stance in relation to Russian or Belarusianparticipation in sport. In a statement to Parliament on 8 March 2022, the Secretary of State for
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries MP (whose family links to sport include foundersof a Premier League club) noted ‘history has shown us, there are other powerful ways of isolatingrogue regimes. Culture and sport can be equally as effective as economic sanctions if used in theright way.’176
The UK Government has therefore taken an international leadership role in using sport as part ofisolation of the Putin regime involving the following:
1. Initial public pressure on UEFA;
2. Conference of National Governing Bodies;
3. International summit with other Governments leading to agreed position and international
declaration; and4. Sanctions - the most high profile of which involved Everton sponsor Alisher Usmanov andChelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Initial public pressure on UEFA
English Premier League teams are again performing well in the UEFA Champions League, so an
early point of concern for UK politicians was the planned hosting of the 2022 final in Russia.
Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Chair of the recent Fan Led Review and former
sports minister, Tracey Crouch MP, and Secretary of State Dorries both called for the final to be
moved. This position was supported by many others around the world and UEFA ultimately moved
the final.
Conference of National Governing Bodies
At the end of February, Secretary of State Dorries and the Minister for Sport, Nigel Huddleston MP,
convened a conference of National Governing Bodies to discuss the national sporting response to
the invasion. It was made clear to these bodies that the position of the UK Government was that
Russia should be stripped of hosting international events and Russian sports teams should not be
permitted to participate in competitions outside Russia.

175

Chris Anderson is the Head of Football Governance Review at UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media andSport (DCMS). He is also the Appeals Chairman member of Scottish Football Association disciplinary panel, as well as
winner of Leaders in Sport “Leaders under 40” award in the Legal and Governance Category.
176
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/dcms-secretary-of-states-oral-statement-on-ukraine (last visited on 23
June 2022).
156

International Summit
Secretary of State Dorries and Minister Huddleston also convened a virtual summit on 3 March2022 with their counterparts in more than 30 other countries, including the United States, France,
Germany, Australia, Japan, Canada and Poland as well as the President of the IPC.
This summit resulted in a joint deceleration of 37 countries as follows:‘We, as a collective of like-minded nations, affirm our support for international sportorganisations’ position that:● Russia and Belarus should not be permitted to host, bid for or be awarded any●●

international sporting events.
Individual athletes selected by Russia and Belarus, administrators and teams
representing the Russian or Belarusian state should be banned from competing in othercountries, including those representing bodies, cities or brands that are effectively
representing Russia or Belarus, such as major football clubs.
Wherever possible, appropriate actions should be taken to limit sponsorship and otherfinancial support from entities with links to the Russian or Belarusian states.

We call on all international sport federations to endorse these principles, and applaud all those thathave done so already. We also welcome the International Paralympic Committee’s decision toprevent Russia’s and Belarus’ athletes from competing in the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing.
These restrictions should be in place until cooperation under the fundamental principles ofinternational law has become possible again.
We encourage all international sport organisations and all relevant legal bodies not to sanction
athletes, coaches or officials who decide unilaterally to terminate their contracts with Russian,Belarusian or Ukrainian clubs, as well as not to pursue or to sanction sport organisers which
decide to ban athletes or teams selected by Russia or Belarus.
Furthermore, we encourage the international sport community to continue to show its solidarity
with the people of Ukraine, including through supporting the continuation of Ukrainian sport where
possible’.177
Sanctions
At the date of writing the UK has imposed sanctions on over 1,000 individuals and businesses under
the Russian sanctions regime since the date of the invasion. These sanctions are amongst thestrongest that the UK can impose and include travel bans as well as freezing of all assets held in theUK.
In a sporting context, the two most high profile sanctioned individuals have been Alisher Usmanovand Roman Arbramovich. Usmanov was President of the Fédération Internationale d’Escrime(fencing’s world governing body) and through several companies (USM, Megafon and Yota) was amajor sponsor of Everton FC. This included a ‘naming rights’ option on the club’s prospective newstadium. He also had close business ties with the owner of Everton, Farhad Moshiri, who himself
was a minority shareholder and Chair of USM.
177

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-russias-war-on-ukraine-international-sport (last visited on 23
June 2022).
157

However, as Usmanov was not himself a shareholder of Everton sanctions were not imposed on the
club itself. The club has now suspended its sponsorship contracts with USM, Megafon and Yota
and removed all related branding.
The most high profile sanctions were imposed on Roman Abramovich. Unlike Usmanov at Everton,
Mr Abramovich is the owner of Chelsea FC and as a result when sanctions were imposed on
Arbamovich they also directly impacted Chelsea.
Under normal circumstances a UK company owned by a sanctioned individual would not be able tocontinue operating in the UK. However, the Government recognised that ‘football clubs arecultural assets’ and therefore ‘granted the club a licence so it can fulfil its fixtures, pay its staff andexisting ticket holders can attend matches’.178 In general terms, the club is prohibited from doing
anything not expressly permitted by the licence179. The licence is in force until 31 May 2022.
Due to the secrecy required to impose sanctions the initial licence was granted without consultation
with the club or the game’s Governing Body, the FA. However, the Government has continued
discussions with football stakeholders, including the club itself, and twice amended the licence toensure the continued functioning of the club pending a sale announced by Arbamovich before theimposition of sanctions.
In summary, at the date of writing key provisions of the licence allow the club to do the following:
1. Pay wages and employment benefits for staff (including temporary and contract workers)
and directors (excluding Abramovich);
2. Pay Academy Player costs in accordance with the Premier League Youth Development
Rules;
3. Pay regular maintenance costs or capital works contracted prior to 10 March 2022 but not
any new capital works or refurbishment;
4. Reasonable costs of travelling to and from matches up to a maximum of £20,000 per game;
5. Reasonable costs for hosting home fixtures up to a maximum of £900,000 per game;
6. Payments under contracts entered into, or for legal judgements, prior to 10 March 2022;
7. Loan or transfer payments to other clubs; and8. Pay service providers.
The club is allowed to receive various fees, including from transfer fees, broadcast payments andpayments from its parent company to alleviate cashflow difficulties (the latter limited to£30,000,000) but these funds are frozen and can only be utilised in the ways permitted by thelicence. The club is not permitted to sell new merchandise. It is also limited in its ability to sellmatch tickets. Season Ticket holders, and those who bought match tickets before 10 March 2022,
remain permitted to attend matches. However, the club is restricted to selling tickets to away fans,to its own fans for away matches and for FA Cup or Champions League fixtures. However, allrevenue from these sales must go to the relevant competition organiser (UEFA, the FA, or thePremier League) for distribution to others or to the other club.

178

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chelsea-fc-granted-licence-to-continue-operating
Licenceavailableathttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/
system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1062877/2022_03_23_Football_Matches_general_licence_amended_
23_March.pdf (last visited on 23 June 2022).
179

158

Prior to the sanctions being imposed Abramovich had announced his intent to sell the Club. Due tothe fact of the sanctions, any sale will need to be permitted by the Government and will need toensure that proceeds do not go to Abramovich.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
UK NGBs face a variety of bespoke issues but are generally following the recommendations of theGovernment (which recognises their autonomy) and their International Federations, albeit many UK
NGBs are also actively engaging with their International Federations to influence the position they
are taking on Russia and Belarus.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
Some organisations have suspended their sponsorship arrangements with Russian companies. In
football, Manchester United moved very quickly to terminate their contract with Aeroflot, andEverton eventually suspended their sponsorship contracts with Russian companies linked to a
sanctioned individual.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
As set out in the joint international statement, the position of the UK Government is that ‘Individual
athletes selected by Russia and Belarus, administrators and teams representing the Russian orBelarusian state should be banned from competing in other countries, including those representing
bodies, cities or brands that are effectively representing Russia or Belarus, such as major footballclubs’.
In relation to athletes, administrators, coaches and ancillary staff who participate in professional
sport in an individual, non representative, capacity, a blanket ban of such individuals is not
currently proposed. However, the UK Government recommends that national governing bodies or
event organisers take steps to ensure they are genuinely neutral. The most important of these is
obtaining a written confirmation from the individual of their neutrality including statements thatthey aren’t representing Russia or Belarus, are not funded by the Russian or Belarussian states (orany company operated by those close to the states) and that they have not and will not express
public support the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian regime or its leadership.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

159

GHANA
By Felix Majani180

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
In February 2022, Ghana joined the African Union in condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine andcalled for an immediate ceasefire.
In April 2022, Ghana’s President together with UK’s Prime Minister jointly condemned Russia’s
invasion and agreed on the importance of continued support to the Ukrainian people and diplomaticand economic pressure on the Kremlin to end the invasion.
The Ghanaian government has not imposed any sanctions.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
None to the best my knowledge.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
There has not been any reaction.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
A number of Ghanaian footballers such as Najeeb Yakubu and Raymond Frimpong Owusu have
had to flee the war torn areas of Ukraine for fear of their lives.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

180

LLM International Sports Law & FIFA Pro Bono Counsel
160

GREECE
By Penny Konitsioti181

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
Τhe EU reacted quickly and decisively to Russia’s attack on Ukraine by imposing severe sanctions,which are some of the toughest actions that states can take without going to war. As an EU Member
State, Greece also participates in the all sanctions applied against Russia. The measures were
designed to burden not only the Russian economy, but also the economics of individual citizens,such as top politicians or prominent businessmen, for actions that undermine or threaten Ukraine’s
territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.
It should be noted that since March 2014, the EU has gradually imposed several restrictive
measures in response to Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s territorial integrity, such as diplomatic
measures, individual restrictive measures (asset freezing and travel restrictions), restrictions on
economic relations with Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine (Crimea and Sevastopol and the outof-government areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions), as well as economic sanctions, sanctions on
the media, and restrictions on economic cooperation. The list of targeted restrictive measures areconstantly expanding, including more and more areas of political, economic and social activity,
such as trade and energy182.
On February 2022 the EU and Greece approved five rounds of sanctions in response to Russia’s
unprecedented and unprovoked military offensive against Ukraine. The measures were aimed atlimiting the Kremlin’s ability to finance the war and bringin clear economic and political costs to
Russia’s political elite responsible for the invasion. The measures included sanctions against
individuals, financial sanctions, restrictions on the media, diplomatic measures, and restrictions on
economic relations with the non-governmental areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. 183
On 23 February 2022 the European Council, including Greece, approved a package of measures in
response to the Russian Federation’s decision to recognize the out-of-control areas of Ukraine’s
Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent entities and the subsequent decision to send Russian
troops to those areas.The package agreed included the measures set out below.
Targeted restrictive measures
Within the existing sanctions framework, the EU extended the restrictive measures to the 351
members of the Russian State Duma who voted in favour of President Putin’s call on February 15 torecognize the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk “democracies” and Donetsk. In
addition, targeted restrictive measures were imposed on an additional 27 prominent individuals andentities involved in undermining or threatening Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty andindependence.These included decision-makers, such as members of the government who
participated in the illegal decisions; banks and businessmen / oligarchs who financially or
181

Sports Lawyer at Penny Konitsioti Legal Services Boutique, pennykonitsioti@gmail.com https://www.pennykonitsioti.gr/uk/
182
https://www.capital.gr/diethni/3620776/nomiki-basi-kai-dunatotita-amfisbitisis-ton-kuroseon-sti-rosia-ti-isxuei (lastvisited on 23 June 2022).
183
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/el/policies/sanctions/restrictive-measures-against-russia-over-ukraine/ (last visitedon 23 June 2022).
161

materially support or benefit from Russian operations in the Donetsk and Luhansk territories;
invasion and destabilization; and those who led the war on misinformation against Ukraine.
Restrictive measures included the freezing of assets and a ban on the allocation of funds to persons
and entities listed. In addition, the travel ban imposed on persons on the list prevents them fromentering or leaving EU territory. The new measures targeted trade from the two non-governmental
regions to and from the EU, to ensure that those in charge clearly feel the financial consequences of
their illegal and aggressive actions. This decision introduced, in particular, a ban on the import ofgoods from out-of-government areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, restrictions on trade andinvestment in certain economic sectors, a ban on tourism services and a ban on exports of certain
goods and technologies.
Financial and economic constraints:
Greece complies with all measures adopted by the Council of the Europea Union such as ban on
the financing of the Russian Federation, its government and its central bank; ban on the purchase,import or transport of coal and other solid fossil fuels to the EU, ban on access to EU ports for
Russian-flagged ships.
Finally, a complete ban on transactions was imposed on four major Russian banks, which represent
23% of the market share in the Russian banking sector. Following the abolition of SWIFT, thesebanks would no longer be subject to asset freezing, thus cutting themselves off completely from EU
markets.184
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
The international community’s reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was immediate, with theEuropean Union and Greece as its member imposing a series of sanctions, as Sport could not be
missing from this response.
On 28 February 2022, the International Olympic Committee proposed the exclusion of all Russianand Belarusian athletes from all international events. Initially, all scheduled events in Russia were
postponed, and the country’s teams and athletes were expelled from the federations.
In Football, FIFA and UEFA have excluded Russian national teams and clubs from international
football, a move that has excluded Russia from the play-offs for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar andthe Euro 2020 women’s tournament. As a result the Hellenic Football Federation also applied themeasures suggested by FIFA and UEFA185
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No there is no other precedent.

184

https://www.naftemporiki.gr/story/1851785/polemos-stin-oukrania-pempto-paketo-kuroseon-kata-tis-rosiasapofasise-i-ee (last visited on 23 June 2022).
185
https://www.pontosnews.gr/682529/athlitismos/se-athlitiki-apomonosi-i-rosia-oi-kyroseis-poy-echoyn/ (last visitedon 23 June 2022).
162

4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
There wasn’t a particular reaction on that matter.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia ? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country ?
Following the example of other countries, at the end of February 2022 the Greek Ministry of
Culture and Sports sent a relevant directive to all its supervised organizations regarding the
Embargo of Greece to artists and cultural organizations from Russia. Until different decided, theGreek Ministry of Culture and Sports imposed an embargo on Russian artists and artistic groups,
thus expressing its reaction to the military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine. The relevant
instruction to all the supervised organizations of the Ministry of Culture has already left the officeof the Minister Lina Mendoni. In particular, the directive stated that "any implementation,
cooperation, planning or discussion of events with Russian cultural organizations is suspended."186
One month later though on 27 April 2022 the same Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni,
had a meeting in Athens with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation Andrey M. Maslov, inorder to discuss issues of cultural cooperation between the two countries. Among the topics thatoccupied the meeting were the organization of the Year of Greek-Russian History and the
preparation of the visit to Greece of Vladimir Medinsky, former Minister of Culture and current
Cultural Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. Mr. Medinsky handles
for the Russian side the issues of the Greece-Russia Year187.
Regarding though other sports activities and sectors in Greece no particular nor specific measures
were taken against athletes from Russia, appart from the general decisions and implementations
occurred from International Sports Federations and Commitions, where of course Greece is amember. On the other hand there weren’t neither any consequenses nor complaints expressed byGreek athletes playing in Russia in the area of sports.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
The key to the complete independence of Southeastern Europe from Russian gas is the new gas
import and transit infrastructure that is being developed in Greece, according to the announcementsof the European Commission.
At the same time, in addition to the projects that are being implemented, the Ministry ofEnvironment and Energy issued a positive opinion recently.
The opinion concerns the construction of the EastMed pipeline (Cyprus - Greece - Italy) identifying
the preliminary environmental requirements of the project.188

186

https://www.protothema.gr/culture/article/1217001/ebargo-tis-elladas-se-kallitehnes-kai-politistikous-organismousapo-ti-rosia/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
187
https://www.capital.gr/epikairotita/3542053/sunantisi-mendoni-me-ton-presbi-tis-rosias-andrey-m-maslov (lastvisited on 23 June 2022).
188
https://parallaximag.gr/ee-kleidi-i-ellada-gia-tin-apexartisi-apo-to-rosiko-aerio-140542 (last visited on 23 June2022).
163

ITALY
By Michele Colucci189 and Salvatore Civale190 and Alessandro Coni191

Questions:7. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
As an EU Member State, Italy participates in the bloc’s sanctions against Russia.
These include the closure of EU airspace to Russian-owned and controlled aircraft; the blocking ofmajor Russian banks from the SWIFT global payments system; and a ban on all transactions with
the Russian central bank. Further measures are in place against individuals and companies includedin the sanctions blacklist.
The Russian state-owned media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik have been banned from the EU,
export controls have been placed on electronic and high-tech goods (in tandem with the US), andthere is a ban on selling aircraft parts and other related equipment to Russia.
Other provisions are instead aimed at easing the entry of people from Ukraine to the country.
Emergency law now provides for specific welfare measures and allows Ukrainian citizens alreadypresent in Italy to be reunited with their family members still present in Ukraine.
8. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports associations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
Measures by sports bodies have focused on supporting Ukrainian people. For example, the ItalianFootball Federation has eased the procedure to register minors coming from Ukraine. All theregistration and insurance fees shall be borne by the Federation. At the same time, in compliancewith FIFA guidelines the Italian Football Federation reopened the transfer market window for
players coming from Russia or Ukraine.
9. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
To the best of our knowledge, there are no precedents.
10. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
None, due to the lack of sponsors linked to Russian companies. Football club AC Milan has
interrupted its partnership with a local sponsor, the Russian betting online company FonBet.

189

Member of the FIFA Resolution Chamber of the Football Tribunal and honorary President of the Italian Associationof sports Lawyers
190
President of the Italian Association of Sports Lawyers
191
Secretary General of the Italian Association of Sport Lawyers
16411. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
Certain Italian athletes have been indirectly affected by the measures against the Russian sports
federations. They have been prevented from playing in certain competition due to the decision tocancel events scheduled to stage in Russia (e.g. FIS World Cup Skicross, Gymnastic world tour) or
to exclude Russian linked teams from official competitions (e.g. cycling team Gazprom-Rusvelo).
Italian people working for Ukrainian sports teams have been affected by the consequences of theconflict.
Russian players playing in Italian teams have suffered no direct consequences. Russian athletes whowant to play in international events staged in Italy, instead, may face the measures implemented by
the relevant sport international federation, which can eventually limit their participation in such
events.
12. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
In all sports competitions, supporters have openly expressed solidarity to Ukrainian athletes.
Several initiatives promoting solidarity have been carried out by the Italian Federations and by
Italian clubs.
Other clubs are hosting Ukrainian refugees, having organized the logistics of them leaving thecountry.
Moreover, as an example of another gesture of solidarity, we can mention that thanks to the ItalianFootball Federation, the Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul will be on the pitch to officiate
women’s Serie A matches. In addition, the Italian and Ukrainian synchronized swimming national
teams are training together in Italy. Likewise, the Italian national Judo team is hosting the Ukrainianteam at its facilities.

165

JAPAN
By Takuya Yamazaki192

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
The Japanese government has imposed sanctions such as:
suspending entry visas to Japan for designated individuals related to Russia;
freezing the assets held by designated individuals and entities related to Russia in Japan;
freezing assets of three Russian banks (VEB.RF, Promsvyazbank, Bank Rossiya) in Japan;
and● imposing sanctions on exports to Russian military-related entities, on exports of controlled
items listed on the internationally agreed list, and of other dual-use goods such as
semiconductors.
●●●

2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
Nothing.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
No action has been taken by any clubs/federations including the Japan Olympic Committee.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country ?
No
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No

192

Sports Lawyer.
166

KENYA
By Felix Majani193

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
In February 2022, Kenya’s U.N. ambassador condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine during an
emergency session of the U.N. Security Council.
The Kenyan government has not imposed any sanctions. Kenya, like many countries, has pushed
for a diplomatic solution.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
None to the best my knowledge.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
None.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
None to the best of my knowledge.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

193

LLM International Sports Law & FIFA Pro Bono Counsel
167

MALAYSIA
By Susanah Ng194

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
None. Malaysia’s foreign minister indicated that Malaysia will not impose any sanctions on Russia
for its invasion of Ukraine although Malaysia voted in favour of a United Nations resolution
condemning Moscow’s aggression on Ukraine. The foreign minister was quoted as saying that that
the Malaysian government does not agree with unilateral sanctions and, if they are absolutely
necessary, sanctions should only be imposed through the United Nations.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
None. It is Olympic Council of Malaysia’s stance that sports should remain free from politics.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
Previously in 2019, Malaysia was stripped of the right to host the World Para Swimming
Championships because of the Government’s refusal to allow Israeli athletes to participare. Again
in November 2021, the World Men’s Team Squash Championship scheduled to take place in Kuala
Lumpur from 7-12 December 2021 was cancelled after the Government of Malaysia refused toallow Israeli athletes to take part. The Olympic Council of Malaysia had tried to obtain special
permission for these athletes but was unsuccessful.
Following the cancellation of the Squash Championship, the IOC in December 2021 threatened toban countries from hosting major events if they refuse to allow athletes from certain countries tocompete for political reasons. Since then, the Olympic Council of Malaysia has been proactive andhas prepared a paper to the Cabinet of Malaysia on the implications of defying the IOC warning.
There has been no further update on this matter.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
Nothing the author is aware of (i.e. none in the public sphere).
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And vice versa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
The author is not aware of any Malaysians playing in Russia and vice-versa. In any event, Malaysia
has taken a neutral and non-aligned stance on the Russia-Ukraine dispute.
194

LLM International Sports Law & FIFA Pro Bono Counsel
168

6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

169

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
By Natalia Chiriac195

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
The Republic of Moldova condemns in the strongest possible terms the unjustified war launched by
Russian Federation against Ukraine. The Republic of Moldova has firmly demonstrated its
commitment and engagement in ensuring international protection for those seeking refuge in ourcountry. With interagency support of international organizations, a response mechanism has been
implemented to assist Ukrainian refugees. The mechanism includes measures on protection,accommodation, transportation and child protection.
To respond to the needs of refugees, Moldovan authorities have established 92 refugee centers
across the country, but most of them are hosted by Moldovan families. At present more than 90 000
Ukrainian refugees are hosted, most of them women and children.
At regional and international level, the Republic of Moldova has voted in favor of UN resolutions
on aggression against Ukraine and humanitarian consequences of the aggression.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports associations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
In the context of the tragic events in Ukraine, the Moldovan Football Association (FAM) fully
supported the decisions and actions of the government of the Republic of Moldova and joined all
the actions initiated by the government of the country in the context of the difficult politicalsituation in the region. It was decided that all matches in the Moldovan football championshipwould start with the banner message: “NO war!”
The UEFA Foundation for Children donated €100,000 to assist Ukrainian children and refugees in
Moldova. This emergency funding was also used to provide three trucks of essential supplies andmedicines to children’s hospitals in Ukraine. Also, with the support of UEFA Foundation forchildren, FMF donated humanitarian aid to three medical institutions in Moldova which received
daily refugees from Ukraine.
In collaboration with the Government of the Republic of Moldova, FAM provided its Sport
Complex “Futsal Arena FMF” to be used as a center for refugees. With the support of theCommission for Exceptional Situations, 500 beds have been set up for Ukrainian citizens. For
several weeks, hundreds of mothers and children have found shelter at FAM sports buildings.
FAM also endeavored to help colleagues from the neighboring country. In this respect, FAM
arranged for players and their families from Dinamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk to be hosted in the
Republic of Moldova during their transit through Moldova.

195

Natalia Chiriac, Sports Law Counsel, Football Association of Moldova.
170In order to integrate refugee children, FAM in partnership with UNICEF, football clubs, theRefugee Charity Center, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the Directorate General for theProtection of the Rights of the Child, Special Olympics Moldova, Sunshine have organized several
social and sports events for refugee children in Ukraine.
In the coming year, FAM, together with its partners, will carry out over the entire territory of the
Republic of Moldova a number of football activities of a mass character for refugee children aged
between 5 and 16 years old.
The purpose of these activities is to promote a healthy lifestyle and football as a tool for social,emotional and psychological counseling for those who suffered from the war.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organizations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No, no precedents to my knowledge.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
None, insofar there is no Russian sponsorship in Moldavan sports to my knowledge.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And vice versa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
After the Russian invasion, two Moldovan football players, one professional and one amateur, havereturned to the Moldavan championship from Ukraine. Also, two minor players have beentransferred from Ukraine to Moldova under art. 19 para 2 lit d) i.e. for humanitarian reasons.
Whereas in the past many Moldavan football players were playing in Russia, recently this number
has decreased considerably. Therefore, no consequences of any nature have been recorded in thisrespect.
On the other hand, there were about 5 Russian players registered in the Moldovan Championship,
but their transfers took place prior to and have no connection with the events of 24 February 2022.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

171

THE NETHERLANDS
By Laurens Korbee and Kevin van den Oetelaar196

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
The Dutch government has decided to appoint a National Coordinator for Sanctions Complianceand Enforcement (NCSH). The goal is to further strengthen the compliance and enforcement of the
sanctions. The most important actions for the National Coordinator will be:--

Active detection and enforcement of sanctions against the most important Russianindividuals and entities in the top 200 sanctions list,
Improve supervision and enforcement of sanctions in areas where this has not yet been
regulated. This includes real estate, art and heritage, business property and non-financial
services,
Solving bottlenecks in the compliance and enforcement of sanctions. For example, in thefield of information exchange between governments,
Streamline alignment between departments and relevant institutions and improve
communication with companies and stakeholders in society.

Furthermore, the Dutch government has imposed sanctions against Russia in collaboration with theEuropean Union. Such measures include seizing or expropriating real estate, supervision on trust
offices and monitoring aircrafts that belong to Russian oligarchs in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
A complete overview of the current sanctions can be found on the website of the Dutch
government197.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
The Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF) has expressed its disgust at the invasion and endorsed
the resolution of the International Olympic Committee, which recommended that international
sports federations and international event organisers should not invite or allow participants from
Russia or Belarus to participate in international competitions. NOC*NSF called on its affiliatedsports organisations to urge their international federations to move sports events currently plannedin Russia or Belarus and to exclude athletes and sports teams from Russia and Belarus fromparticipating in sports events organised by the international federations elsewhere.198
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB)
decided that the representative teams of the KNVB will not play against the national teams of
Russia and Belarus. For this reason, the match of the Dutch women’s national football team against
Belarus on 12 April 2022 in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification was cancelled andpostponed.

196

Legal Counsels of the Dutch Federation of Professional Football Clubs (FBO).
https://www.rvo.nl/onderwerpen/landen-en-gebieden/rusland/sancties (last visited on 23 June 2022)..
198
https://nocnsf.nl/en (last visited on 23 June 2022).
197

172

On 6 May 2022, the KNVB decided to lift the boycott against Belarus. The KNVB mentioned thatit already went further than UEFA and other countries by boycotting Belarus, but other countries
continued to play against Belarus, as a result of which a long-term boycott by the KNVB would
have no effect. Moreover, the KNVB mentioned that since the competitors for the 2023 FIFA
Women’s World Cup qualification in fact do play against Belarus, this made it difficult for the
Netherlands to qualify for the World Cup. Therefore, since 6 May 2022, the KNVB only limits its
boycott to Russia. The match of the Dutch women’s national football team against Belarus shall
now take place on 28 June 2022. The KNVB however expressed its wish to play without any
audience and without playing the national anthems before the match, because the KNVB is of theopinion that the regime in Belarus should not look forward to international sports competitions andthus wants to limit the attention for this game. 199
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
To the best of our knowledge, there are not any precedents.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
To our knowledge, neither the Dutch professional football clubs nor the Dutch Olympic Committee(NOC*NSF) is linked to any Russian sponsor. Therefore, there has been no reaction.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
No.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
Mr. Valeri Oyf was the Russian major shareholder of the Dutch football club Vitesse. After
persistent public criticism, Mr. Oyf (who is not yet on the sanctions lists of Europe nor the UnitedStates) decided to sell his share in Vitesse and resigned from the club’s Supervisory Board.

199

https://www.knvb.nl/nieuws/organisatie/berichten/66205/statement-knvb-over-wk-kwalificatiewedstrijdoranjeleeuwinnen (last visited on 23 June 2022).
173

NIGERIA
By Felix Majani200

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
On 24 February 2022, the African Union condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine and called for an
immediate ceasefire.
Further, in March 2022, Nigeria was among 141 nations that voted in support of a resolution thatcondemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly. The Nigerian
government has not imposed any sanctions.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
None to the best my knowledge.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
There has not been any reaction.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
In March 2022, Nigerian striker Sylvester Igbonu invoked FIFA’s Temporary rules addressing theexceptional situation deriving from the war in Ukraine and terminated his contract with Russian
club FK Nizhny Novgorod one month after he joined the club.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

200

LLM International Sports Law & FIFA Pro Bono Counsel
174

POLAND
By Maciej Bałaziński201 and Karolina Letniowska202

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
In general, Poland as a Member State of the European Union adheres to sanctions imposed on
Russia by the European Union. In addition, it has introduced several measures on a national level,
including an embargo on coal and coke coming from the territory of Russia and Belarus as well as
exclusion of entities listed on the EU and Polish sanction lists from proceedings for public
procurement. As of the 26 April 2022, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration publishes
a list of persons and entities to which such sanctions apply.
In terms of sport, on the 10 March 2022 the Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism launched a
helpline for sports athletes coming from Ukraine who are currently in Poland or are headed hereto.
The helpline is aimed at facilitating athletes in finding accommodation and a base for training. The
project is supported by the Polish Anti-Doping Agency (POLADA) and the Polish Football
Association (PZPN). There are numerous sports associations and sports centres engaged in helping
Ukrainian athletes finding opportunities to continue their training process in Poland.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
The response of the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOl) to the Russian invasion on Ukraine wasfirm and immediate. Already on 26 February 2022 the President of PKOl addressed the letter to Mr
Sergey Bubka, the President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, in which he expressedsolidarity with Ukraine and declared readiness of PKOl to support the Ukrainian nation in general,and the Ukrainian athletes and their relatives in particular. The President assured that PKOl
continuously monitors the situation in Ukraine and on its borders and is ready to provide assistanceaccordingly.
On 1 March 2022 the President of PKOl publicly supported recommendations of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) with regard to participation of Russian and Belarussian athletes ininternational competitions. As stated by the President, only a joint, firm and unanimous position has
an impact, therefore the abovementioned athletes and their staff shall be excluded from participating
in international competitions. Such position of PKOl was presented during the meeting of the
Executive Committee of European Olympic Committees (EOC) held on the same day.
As regards PZPN, apart from supporting the abovementioned initiative of the Polish Ministry ofSport and Tourism, on the 27 February 2022 the Emergency Committee of PZPN introduced
amendments to the regulations governing the status and transfer of players and the regulations

201

Attorney-at-law licenced in Poland specialized in sports law, Founding Partner of the legal office Kancelaria Prawna
Maciej Bałaziński i Współpracownicy, arbitrator at Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, Vice-Presidentof Towarzystwo Sportowe Wisła Kraków S.A.
202
Attorney trainee working in Kancelaria Prawna Maciej Bałaziński i Współpracownicy, LL. M. at the University ofGdańsk, LL. M. in Sustainable Development at the University of Milan.
175establishing the number of ex-EU football players allowed to play in football matches in particulardivisions. According to these amendments:-

the limits of non-EU football players registered by a football club as well as the requirement
to submit a visa and a work permit for the player’s registration do not apply to the citizens of
Ukraine;the limits of non-EU football players fielded in a football match that are applicable to male
2nd league division and lower, male cup competitions on the regional level, women’s league
and cup competitions, Futsal and beach soccer, do not apply to the citizens of Ukraine;
the requirement to register non-EU football players only as professionals does not apply tothe citizens of Ukraine.

As a result of these amendments, Polish football clubs are entitled to register an unlimited numberof football players of Ukrainian citizenship, also as amateurs, and are not required to present theirvisa and work permit for such purposes. Additionally, Ukrainian football players can be fielded bytheir current clubs in particular football matches without any limitations.
The introduction of the abovementioned facilitations is aimed at encouraging Polish football clubs
to welcome Ukrainian football players and to help them continue their football training and career,at the same time strengthening their own teams during the ongoing football season 2021/2022.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
The reaction of the Polish sports industry in general to the Russian invasion on Ukraine has been
virtually unanimous. Its stakeholders demonstrated their deep unity with Ukrainian citizens andfootball players. Since the outset of war, they engaged in numerous forms of support, includingcollection and distribution of clothing, food and necessary utilities, as well as raising awarenessthrough their social media.
In particular, there were many forms of support undertaken within the football industry.
Remarkably, the Polish National Team supported by PZPN refused to play against Russia in thequalifiers to the FIFA World Cup 2022. This decision was later approved by FIFA who
consequently excluded the Russian Team from the competition. On the league level, football clubs
tended to welcome Ukrainian players to train at their facilities. Numerous charity matches wereplayed both within professional and amateur football. By way of example, in collaboration with the
Ukrainian Football Association and Ukrainian football clubs, two charity matches on the central
professional level were organized – a match between Legia Warszawa and Dynamo Kyiv on the 12
April 2022 and a match between Lechia Gdańsk and Shakhtar Donetsk on the 14 April 2022.
In addition to the foregoing, following the amendments of PZPN regulations facilitating registrationof Ukrainian football players as well as the introduction of Annex 7 to the FIFA Regulations on the
Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), several Polish football clubs decided to register players
coming from Ukraine in the ongoing season. To name a few, Wisła Kraków loaned Georgiy
Tsitaishvili from Dynamo Kyiv, Legia Warszawa engaged Benjamin Verbic from Dynamo Kyiv
176

while Jagiellonia Białystok contracted Marc Gual from Dnipro-1 and Diego Santos Carioca from
Kolos Kovalivka.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia ? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
At the outset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there were several Polish athletes pursuing theirprofessional sports careers in Russia, including in football, volleyball, handball and basketball.
Some of them managed to find an agreement with the club and mutually terminate their contracts.
Other decided to unilaterally terminate their employment relationship in view of the lack ofconsensus. Some others remain in Russian sports clubs.
In terms of professional football, one player that made use of the provisions of Annex 7 to FIFA
RSTP was Grzegorz Krychowiak who was transferred to AEK Athens from Krasnodar on the 15thof March 2022. However, there are a few players that remained in Russia either due to the lack ofagreement with the club as to the termination of their employment relationship or for personalreasons.
Interestingly however, it shall be noted that sanctions imposed on Russia in terms of financial andbanking services have their secondary effect also on transactions involving athletes willing to leave
the territory of Russia. Namely, the limitations on the ability to perform transactions with ex-Russia
entities prevent Russian football clubs from executing payments towards the engaging clubs. Thesesanctions, while being crucial in the efforts of the international community to stop the war in
Ukraine, have unexpectedly hindered movement of players from Russia.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

177

PORTUGAL
By Rui Botica Santos,203 Tiago Patrão Silva204 and João Teles Nogueira205

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
The Portuguese Government opted for following most of its EU State-members in what concerns
sanctions against the Russian regime of President Vladimir Putin. While this was its generalapproach for all sectors, the Portuguese Minister of Education, which is responsible for Youth andSport in the country, signed a joint statement206 which stated that “Russia’s unprovoked andunjustifiable war of choice against Ukraine, enabled by the Belarusian government, is abhorrent
and a flagrant breach of its international obligations. Respect for human rights and peacefulrelations between nations form the foundation of international sport”.
In addition to this, and in accordance with said statement, the signatory countries committed toguarantee that (i) Russia and Belarus should not be permitted to host, bid for or be awarded any
international sporting events, (ii) that individual athletes selected by Russia and Belarus,
administrators and teams representing the Russian or Belarusian States should be banned fromcompeting in other countries, including those representing bodies, cities or brands that are
effectively representing Russia or Belarus, such as major football clubs and that (iii) wherever
possible, appropriate actions should be taken to limit sponsorship and other financial support fromentities with links to the Russian or Belarusian States.
In addition, these countries “(…) encourage all international sport organisations and all relevant
legal bodies not to sanction athletes, coaches or officials who decide unilaterally to terminate theircontracts with Russian, Belarusian or Ukrainian clubs, as well as not to pursue or to sanction sportorganisers which decide to ban athletes or teams selected by Russia or Belarus.
Furthermore, we encourage the international sport community to continue to show its solidarity
with the people of Ukraine, including through supporting the continuation of Ukrainian sport where
possible”
Finally, the Portuguese government has been exercising diplomatic pressure targeted at punishing
the Russian regime before the European institutions and its closest partners, which is in line withthe general orientation regarding this conflict.

2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?

203

Arbitrator and Mediator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS-CAS), in Lausanne, and Judge of the FIA Courts(International Tribunal and International Court of Appeal)
204
Trainee Lawyer at Coelho Ribeiro & Associados, RL, Lisbon and post-graduated in Sports Law
205
Trainee Lawyer at Coelho Ribeiro & Associados, RL, Lisbon and post-graduated in Sports Law.
206
“STATEMENT ON RUSSIA’S WAR ON UKRAINE & INTERNATIONAL SPORT” – Joint declaration by 37
countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Switzerland. Available at:https://www.portugal.gov.pt/pt/gc22/comunicacao/documento?i=declaracao-conjunta-das-tutelas-do-desportorelativamente-a-invasao-da-ucrania-pela-russia (last visited on 23 June 2022).
178

The Portuguese Olympic Committee (“POC”) has taken a strong stand against the invasion of
Ukraine but is essentially following all recommendations of the International Olympic Committee(“IOC”). The same can be said for the Portuguese Paralympic Committee.
National Sports Federations have also been applying their international counterparties’
recommendations and measures, however, there have been some noteworthy aid mechanisms put inplace to help Ukrainian sportspersons:● The Portuguese Football Federation (“FPF”) decided to extend the registration deadline foryoung amateur athletes from Ukraine until 31 May 2022 to enable under-11 to under-19
football players from Ukraine to play football. 207 Recently, the FPF announced that it hadcollected more than 1.6 million euros, which will be given “in full” to the Portuguese Red
Cross emergency fund.208● The Portuguese Handball Federation exceptionally allowed registration of Ukrainian sports
agents, free of charge or registration fees, until 1 April, with a view to their participation in
official, national and regional competitions. In addition, it has also enacted other support
measures of a non-sporting nature, such as allowing these individuals to enrol and attend
higher education and polytechnic courses, in accordance with the federation’s protocols withsaid institutions;209● The Portuguese Volleyball Federation announced that it was available “to receive, at nocost, Ukrainian athletes, namely the Beach Volleyball doubles of the National Ukrainian
Team and, in indoor volleyball, the National Under-17 Women’s and Under-18 Men’s
teams, so that they can prepare with dignity for the 2nd Qualifying Round of the respective
European Championships, being able to extend their stay here for as long as they wish”210.
It is also important to note a very interesting project from the FPF, called “Each Club, a Family”,
the aim of which is to transform the clubs into a supportive platform that facilitates integration into
Portuguese society and provides hope to a population in emergency situations after fleeing the war
in Ukraine. Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca and his Ukraine-born wife Katerina, both of which had
to flee from the war, are the ambassadors of this FPF initiative211.
The main idea behind this project is for Portuguese clubs to act as a “reception cell”, finding
employment for an adult refugee and offering football practice to the household’s children or
minors. Dozens have already found a new job and home thanks to this initiative and many clubs arestill available to help Ukrainians in need212.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
To the best of our knowledge, there are no precedents.

207

https://www.fpf.pt/pt/News/Todas-as-not%C3%ADcias/Not%C3%ADcia/news/33629 (last visited on 23 June2022).
208
https://www.fpf.pt/pt/News/Todas-as-not%C3%ADcias/Not%C3%ADcia/news/34226 (last visited on 23 June2022).
209https://portal.fpa.pt/2022/03/nota-de-imprensa-situacao-de-guerra-na-ucrania/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
210
https://fpvoleibol.pt/fpv/2022/03/11/nota-de-imprensa-situacao-na-ucrania/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
211
https://www.fpf.pt/pt/News/Todas-as-not%C3%ADcias/Not%C3%ADcia/news/33564 (last visited on 23 June2022).
212
https://www.fpf.pt/pt/News/Todas-as-not%C3%ADcias/Not%C3%ADcia/news/34236 (last visited on 23 June2022).
179

4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
National Federations, clubs and the POC have followed their international counterparties´ position
against Russians sponsors, however, Portuguese sport does not have any meaningful Russiansponsorship contracts and, therefore, we have no information about any contract terminations or any
other related issues.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And vice versa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
As stated above, Portugal’s position regarding Russian athletes competing in the country is the one
from the joint statement that it signed, namely that “(…) individual athletes selected by Russia andBelarus, administrators and teams representing the Russian or Belarusian state should be banned
from competing in other countries, including those representing bodies, cities or brands that are
effectively representing Russia or Belarus, such as major football clubs”. Those who participate inprofessional sport without representing the countries of Russia or Belarus have not been banned nor
is a ban of sorts yet enacted.
On the other hand, Portuguese nationals playing in Russia have not, to our knowledge, suffered any
consequences in light of the conflict and the measures put in place by Portuguese authorities.
We point out that the number of Russian professional athletes playing in Portugal and Portuguese
professional athletes playing in Russia is limited.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
Firstly, as a matter of context, it’s important to note that Portuguese sport does not have a strong
connection with any of the involved parties in the conflict, since we do not have a meaningful
number of Russian or Ukrainian athletes and there is no relevant Russian sponsorship or influencein the top professional clubs (FC Porto, SL Benfica and Sporting CP).
Secondly, as a matter of curiosity, the first competitive football match of a Ukrainian club after thestart of the invasion was played between Dinamo Kiev and a Portuguese club, Sporting CP, in theUEFA Youth League, an under-19 competition. This match carried a lot of meaning especially forthe young players who could not avoid showing their emotions when the match ended. 213

213

https://www.ojogo.pt/futebol/1a-liga/sporting/noticias/sporting-bate-dinamo-kiev-e-defronta-o-benfica-nos-quartosde-final-da-uefa-youth-league-14751030.html (last visited on 23 June 2022).
180

RUSSIA
By Anna Smirnova214

Questions:
1. What reaction followed from the Russian sports organizations in response to the
sanctions imposed by the International Sports Organizations?
Before setting out the various reactions and responses from the Russian sports authorities in relation
to the current situation, it would be useful to first note the following decisions of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) that gave rise to such massive legal and sporting implications:a) On 24 February 2022215, the IOC “strongly condemned the breach of the Olympic Truce by
the Russian government”; it was mentioned that “the IOC is deeply concerned about thesafety of the Olympic Community in Ukraine. It has established a task force to closely
monitor the situation and to coordinate the humanitarian assistance to members of the
Olympic Community in Ukraine where possible”;b) On 25 February 2022216, the Executive Board (EB) of the IOC reiterated its “strong
condemnation of the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian government and thegovernment of Belarus through its support in this”. In addition, the following was stated:
-

-

-

-

The IOC EB “urges all International Sports Federations to relocate or cancel theirsports events currently planned in Russia or Belarus. They should take the breach of the
Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarussian governments into account and give thesafety and security of the athletes absolute priority. The IOC itself has no events plannedin Russia or Belarus”.
The IOC EB “urges that no Russian or Belarussian national flag be displayed and no
Russian or Belarussian anthem be played in international sports events which are notalready part of the respective World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sanctions for
Russia”.
The IOC EB “expresses its full support to the International Paralympic Committee(IPC) for the upcoming Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022”.
The IOC EB “expresses its deep concerns about the safety of the members of the
Olympic Community in Ukraine and stands in full solidarity. It notes that the special
IOC task force is in contact with the Olympic Community in the country to coordinate
humanitarian assistance where possible”.
The IOC EB “asks the task force to continue to closely monitor the situation and to keep
the IOC EB informed and updated, also with regard to potential amendments of today’s
resolution”.

c) On 28 February 2022217, the IOC EB passed several resolutions (hereinafter referred to as
the “IOC Decision as of 28 February 2022”), among which:214

Attorney at Law, Monteneri Sports Law (www.monteneri.law; as@monteneri.law).
https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-strongly-condemns-the-breach-of-the-olympic-truce (last visited on 23 June2022).
216
https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-urges-all-ifs-to-relocate-or-cancel-their-sports-events-currently-planned-inrussia-or-belarus (last visited on 23 June 2022).
217
https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-recommends-no-participation-of-russian-and-belarusian-athletes-and-officials(last visited on 23 June 2022).
215

181

-

-

-

-

“In order to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all
the participants, the IOC EB recommends that International Sports Federations andsports event organisers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusianathletes and officials in international competitions”.
“Wherever this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons, theIOC EB strongly urges International Sports Federations and organisers of sports eventsworldwide to do everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports officialfrom Russia or Belarus be allowed to take part under the name of Russia or Belarus.
Russian or Belarusian nationals, be it as individuals or teams, should be accepted only
as neutral athletes or neutral teams. No national symbols, colours, flags or anthemsshould be displayed”.
“Wherever, in very extreme circumstances, even this is not possible on short notice fororganisational or legal reasons, the IOC EB leaves it to the relevant organisation to findits own way to effectively address the dilemma described above”.
The IOC EB maintained its recommendation not to organize any sports events in Russia
or Belarus;
The IOC EB took the ad hoc decision to withdraw the Olympic Order from all persons
who currently have an important function in the government of the Russian Federationor other government-related high-ranking position.

Following the IOC Decision of 28 February 2022 and in line with its instructions, the majority of
the international and regional sports federations and organizations issued their resolutions withrespect to the sanctions and limitations to be imposed on the athletes and teams originating from
Russia and Belarus. There has been no uniform approach among the international sports federations
as to what measures are to be taken, when, how and their duration.
For illustrative purposes, the table below summarizes certain decisions of some international sports
federations taken to implement the IOC Decision of 28 February 2022; some of these decisions
have been appealed by the Russian sports federations either to the internal judicial bodies of therelevant international sports federations or directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Organization
FIFA

Date
27 February 2022

FIFA/UEFA

28 February 2022

Decision
The Bureau of the FIFA Council (FIFA President and thesix Confederation Presidents) decided to take initial
measures applicable until further notice:- “No international competition shall be played on the
territory of Russia, with “home” matches being
played on neutral territory and without spectators”;- “The member association representing Russia shallparticipate in any competition under the name
“Football Union of Russia (RFU)” and not “Russia””- “No flag or anthem of Russia will be used in matches
where teams from the Football Union of Russia
participate”218
FIFA and UEFA decided together that “all Russian teams,
whether national representative teams or club teams, shallbe suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA
competitions until further notice”219218

https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/media-releases/bureau-of-the-fifa-council-takes-initialmeasures-with-regard-to-war-in (last visited on 23 June 2022).
219
https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/media-releases/fifa-uefa-suspend-russian-clubs-andnational-teams-from-all-competitions (last visited on 23 June 2022).
182

European Olympic
Committees

2 March 2022

The Football Union of Russia appealed against thisdecision to CAS; the arbitral proceedings are pending on
the date of this Survey.
“Russian and Belarus athletes and officials will no longer
participate in the forthcoming 2022 Winter European
Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) to be held in Vuokatti,
Finland, from 20-25 March.”“(…) in order to safeguard the well-being of such young
athletes, as well as protect the integrity of the event, theEOC believes Russian and Belarusian athletes should notcompete in Vuokatti in any capacity”220

International Skating
Union

International Biathlon
Union

International IceHockey Federation

1 March 2022

2 March 2022

28 February 2022

The Russian Olympic Committee appealed against thisdecision to CAS; the arbitral proceedings are pending on
the date of this Survey.
“in order to protect the integrity of ice skatingcompetitions and for the safety of all the participants ofinternational ice skating competitions, the ISU Council
based on Article 17.1.q)i) of the ISU Constitution, agreed
that with immediate effect and until further notice, no
Skaters belonging to the ISU Members in Russia (Russian
Skating Union and the Figure Skating Federation of
Russia) and Belarus (Skating Union of Belarus) shall be
invited or allowed to participate in International ice
skating Competitions including ISU Championships andother ISU Events. The same applies to Officials listed in
the respective ISU Communications and/or Regulations
under Russia and Belarus”221
The Russian Skating Union, the Figure Skating Federationof Russia and some athletes appealed against this decision
to CAS; the arbitral proceedings are pending on the dateof this Survey.
“the IBU EB has decided now not to allow theparticipation of any Russian or Belarusian athletes orofficials at its international events until further noticeincluding non-sports events organised by the IBU for its
members.”222
The Russian Biathlon Union appealed against thisdecision; the arbitral proceedings are suspended on thedate of this Survey.
IIHF Council decided on the “suspension of all Russianand Belarusian National Teams and Clubs fromparticipation in every age category and in all IIHF
competitions or events until further notice” and the“Withdrawal of the 2023 IIHF World JuniorChampionship hosting rights from Russia”223.

220

https://www.eurolympic.org/russia-belarus-athletes-and-officials-will-not-participate-in-eyof-vuokatti-2022/;
https://www.eurolympic.org/eoc-extends-decision-regarding-russia-and-belarus/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
221
https://www.isu.org/media-centre/press-releases/2022-4/27825-isu-statement-on-the-ukrainian-crisis-01-03-2022/file(last visited on 23 June 2022).
222
https://www.biathlonworld.com/news/russia-belarus-ban-biathlon/5ZE0Cw161gYi3hJpeXsiAwl; on 29 March 2022,
IBU suspended the national federations of Russia and Belarus (https://www.biathlonworld.com/news/ibu-suspendsrussia-belarus/6qaHB3J4ixdM880SXCL79D) (last visited on 23 June 2022).
223
https://www.iihf.com/en/news/32301/iihf_council_announces_decisions_over_russia_belar (last visited on 23 June2022).
183

Union Cycliste
Internationale

UEFAInternational
Paralympic Committee(IPC)

1 March 2022

2 May 2022

2 March 2022

3 March 2022

On 18 March 2022, the Russian Ice-Hockey Federation
lodged the appeal before the IIHF Disciplinary Board224.
No further information about the course or the outcome of
the appeal is available on the date of this Survey.
Among other decisions, the UCI Management ruled that
“Russian and Belarusian national teams and/or national
selections are not authorised to take part in any events on
the UCI International Calendar with immediate effect”,“UCI Team status is withdrawn from all teams under
Russian or Belarusian nationality and the UCI shall notconsider any further applications for UCI status fromteams from these two countries”, etc225.
There is no available information whether this decision
was appealed or not.
The UEFA Executive Committee among other decisions
ruled that “Russia will have no affiliated clubs
participating in UEFA club competitions in the 2022/23
season”, i.e. “the respective access lists of the men’s andwomen’s club competitions have been rebalanced inaccordance with the principles set out in the relevant
competition regulations”
Shortly after this decision, five Russian football clubs (FCZenit Saint-Petersburg, PFC Sochi, FC Dynamo Moscow,
PFC CSKA Moscow, and FC Spartak Moscow) appealed
against it to the Court of Arbitration for Sport226. On thedate of this Survey the arbitral proceedings are still
pending.
Two days before the opening of the Paralympic Games in
Beijing, the IPC decided that “the Russian Paralympic
Committee and the National Paralympic Committee ofBelarus will participate as neutrals at the Beijing 2022
Paralympic Winter Games” and that “they will compete
under the Paralympic flag and not be included in the
medal table”227.
Less than a day before the opening of the Games, the IPC
stated that “following a specially convened meeting, the
IPC Governing Board has decided to refuse the athlete
entries from the RPC and NPC Belarus for the Beijing
2022 Paralympic Winter Games”228.
On the date of this Survey there is no available
information of whether any of the foregoing decisions of
the IPC has been appealed.

Considering the variety of the sanctions imposed in different sports disciplines on the Russian
athletes, the reaction of the Russian sports organizations, clubs and athletes differed drasticallydepending on the severity of the measures and specifics of the sports discipline. Many of the224

https://fhr.ru/news/item/90179/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
https://www.uci.org/pressrelease/the-uci-takes-strong-measures-in-the-face-of-the-situation-in-ukraine/ 6V8Frkqs
Pbhbe MIc8rgb3t (last visited on 23 June 2022).
226
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/russian-clubs-appeal-uefa-decision-bar-them-european-competition-202205-13/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
227
https://www.paralympic.org/press-release/ipc-makes-decisions-regarding-rpc-and-npc-belarus (last visited on 23
June 2022).
228
https://www.paralympic.org/news/ipc-decline-athlete-entries-rpc-and-npc-belarus-beijing-2022 (last visited on 23
June 2022).
225

184

decisions issued by the international sports federations were appealed by the Russian sports
federations, clubs and individual athletes to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the internal
judicial bodies of the international sports federations.
The most significant developments of the Russian sports pertaining to the implications of the
sanctions imposed are described below.
Appeals before the Court of Arbitration for SportThe information about the arbitral proceedings initiated by the Russian sports organizations andindividual athletes before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, was taken for the purposes of thisSurvey from the CAS Media Release issued on 5 April 2022229. Then, CAS gave information about
ten arbitral proceedings initiated by the various Russian sports organizations, most of which are still
pending at the time of publication of this Survey; one appeal had been withdrawn andone proceduresuspended.
In the two arbitration proceedings initiated by the Football Union of Russia (FUR) against thedecisions of FIFA and UEFA to suspend all the FUR teams from participating in FIFA and UEFA
competitions until further notice, namely CAS 2022/A/8709 Football Union of Russia (FUR) v.
Union of European Football Associations et al. and CAS 2022/A/8708 Football Union of Russia(FUR) v. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) et al., the Football Union of
Russia sought interim relief, namely for CAS to “grant the suspensive effect to the Appeal and/or ifneeded, order [FIFA and UEFA] to take all necessary measures to reinstate immediately all
Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, for participation in[FIFA/UEFA] competitions, including, but without limitation, in the competitions (…)”
On 8 April 2022 by the President of the CAS Appeals Arbitration Division issued two orders on
Requests for Provisional Measures in the afore-referenced proceedings where the applications forprovisional measures filed by the Football Union of Russia were rejected230.
On 23 June 2022, CAS upheld the appeals filed by the Russian Weightlifting Federation (RWF),
Maxim Agapitov, Dmitry Chernogorov and Aleksandr Kishkin against the four decisions renderedon 23 May 2022 by the Eligibility Determination Panel (EDP) IWF by which the RWF was“prohibited from nominating any candidate for election to the Executive Board, any IWF
Commission and any IWF Committee for the IWF elections to be held in June 2022” and, as aconsequence, the three candidates Agapitov, Chernogorov and Kishkin were declared ineligible forthe same elections. The CAS Panel set the challenged decisions aside, having found that IWF EDP
did not have jurisdiction to prevent the RWF from nominating candidates for the elections. 231
On 15 July 2022 the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced that the appeals filed by FUR as wellas the appeals of four Russian Clubs against the decisions taken accordingly by the Bureau of theFIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee (the UEFA appeal) to suspend all Russian229

https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Media_Release_05.04.22_Russian_appeals.pdf (last visited on
23 June 2022).
230
https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/8708_Reasoned_OPM__publication_.pdf and https://www.tascas.org /fileadmin/user_upload/8709_reasoned_OPM__publication_.pdf (last visited on 23 June 2022).
231
Available on https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Media_Release_8915_et_al.pdf
185teams and clubs from participation in their respective competitions until further notice have been
dismissed and the challenged decisions are confirmed. 232
In the Panel’s view it is “unfortunate that the current military operations in Ukraine, for which
Russian football teams, clubs, and players have themselves no responsibility, had, by reason of thedecisions of FIFA and UEFA, such an adverse effect on them and Russian football generally, but
those effects were, in the Panel’s view, offset by the need for the secure and orderly conduct offootball events for the rest of the world”. 233
International Luge Federation (FIL)
On 2 March 2022, following the IOC Decision of 28 February 2022, FIL among other resolutions
passed the following:-Russia is ineligible to host any FIL sanctioned events.
All Russian athletes, coaches and officials are excluded from all FIL sanctioned events.
Russian representatives appointed by the FIL Executive Board to various commissions andWorking Groups are suspended from their positions.
FIL will initiate an investigation into certain derogatory and disturbing social media posts by
Russian athletes directed at Ukraine234.

The decision was appealed by the Russian Luge Federation to the FIL Court of Arbitration and,
subsequently, on 7 April 2022, the FIL Court of Arbitration annulled all measures imposed on 2
March 2022 against the Russian Luge Federation.
In response, on 11 April 2022, the FIL Executive Board stated that “the FIL leadership, together
with the FIL Legal Committee, will look for possibilities to solve the unsatisfactory situation causedby the arbitration judgment of the FIL Court of Arbitration by means of a possible change in thestatutes, which would have to be decided by a 2/3 majority at the ordinary FIL Congress on June
18-19, 2022 in Riga/LAT”235.

European Table Tennis Union (ETTU)
On 27 April 2022, the ETTU Executive Board issued a statement confirming that it had received thedecision of the Board of Appeal (BoA) on the appeal lodged by the Table Tennis Federation of
Russia, in which it ruled against the decision to suspend the Russian table tennis clubs Fakel
Gazprom Orenburg and TTSC UMMC from last season’s semi-final and final of the Champions
League.
The ETTU emphasized that it had no wish to punish athletes for the decisions of their governments,
however the decision to suspend the Russian clubs was taken to protect athlete safety and ensure theintegrity of its competitions, in line with the recommendations of the IOC and ITTF236.

232

Available on https://www.tascas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Media_Release_8708_8709_8865_8866_8867_8868_Decision.pdf (last visited on
16 July 2022).
233
Ibidem.
234
https://www.fil-luge.org/en/news/resolution-of-the-fil-executive-board (last visited on 23 June 2022).
235
https://www.fil-luge.org/de/news/statement-of-the-fil-executive-board-on-the-decision-of-the-fil-court-of-arbitration-in-the-case-fil-executive-board-v-russian-luge-federation (last visited on 23 June 2022).
236
https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/april/ettu-eb-/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
186

On 16 May 2022, the ETTU stated that the ETTU Executive Board had submitted new information
to the Board of Appeal and requested a revision of the BoA’s judgement on the appeal of the Table
Tennis Federation of Russia, Fakel Gazprom Orenburg and TTSC UMMC regarding the Table
Tennis Champions League season 2021-2022237. On the date of this Survey no further information
is available in respect of the court and the outcome of these proceedings.

Chess Federation of Russia
On 2 March 2022, the FIDE238 Council decided that “no Russian and Belarusian national flag bedisplayed or anthem be played in all FIDE-rated international chess events. Instead – the national
chess federation’s flag or the official symbol/logo shall be used”. Furthermore, the FIDE Council
condemned “any public statement from any member of the chess community which supports
unjustified military action and brings the case of chess grandmasters Sergey Karjakin and Sergey
Shipov to the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission”239.
On 4 March 2022, the European Chess Union (ECU) suspended the Russian and Belarusian Chess
Federations240, which included without limitations the following:
-

-

-

-

The suspension of all competitions/events/seminars to be held in both Russia and Belarus
and the prohibition of the display and use of both countries’ flags, anthems, colours, andsymbols.
With immediate effect the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian national teams and clubs
from all events on the ECU calendar. The decision was to be ratified by the ECU General
Assembly.
The exclusion of individual players representing Russian or Belarusian federations from all
ECU competitions unless they change federation or by their expressed will represent the
FIDE flag in the rating list.
Banning all trainers, arbiters or officials from Russia and Belarus from performing any
duties during the forthcoming European Chess Championships or in any subsequent ECU
events.

Having faced the foregoing severe restrictions, on 14 April 2022, the Chess Federation of Russia
announced its decision to quit the European Chess Union and instead to join the Asian Chess
Federation241. On the date hereof the process of the change of affiliation by the Chess Federation of
Russia is ongoing.
2. Are there any precedents of how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
The history of the Russian and earlier Soviet sport is rich for unusual and unique precedents easily
explained by the abundance of geopolitical challenges faced throughout the last century by thecountry.
237

https://www.ettu.org/en/n/news/2022/may/ettu-statement-on-board-of-appeal-decision/ (last visited on 23 June2022).
238
International Chess Federation.
239
https://www.fide.com/news/1603 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
240
https://www.europechess.org/ecu-suspends-the-russian-and-belarusian-chess-federations/ (last visited on 23 June2022).
241https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1121915/rcf-votes-join-asian-chess-federation (last visited on 23 June2022).
187

To begin with, since the establishment of the Olympic movement and the first modern Olympic
Games back in 1896, Russia (the Russian Empire at the time) participated in the Olympiads only
twice – in 1908 and 1912. The first Russian Olympic Committee was created in 1911 and survived
only until 1917 when it was dissolved.
In the following 35 years, Russian – or, more accurately, Soviet – sport, was not admitted to the
Olympic movement, mostly due to reasons deriving from the Russian Revolution of 1917 as well as
the aftermath of the First World War. At this point, it is remarkable to recall the contribution ofprince Lev Urusov, the IOC member from 1910 to 1933, who strove to allow refugees from Russia
to compete at the 1924 Olympics, an attempt which was defeated by the IOC242.
Until 1951 Soviet sport existed autonomously, although Soviet athletes and teams every now andthen managed to participate in the international competitions. Apparently, the young Soviet
republics faced certain resistance on their way to the international sports arena.
In April 1951 the All-Union Committee on Physical Culture and Sport of the Union of Socialist
Soviet Republics (USSR) notified the IOC about the establishment of the National Olympic
Committee of the USSR and applied to join the IOC. The application was approved on 7 May 1951,
and thus, Soviet athletes for the first time in the history of the Olympic Movement participated in
the Winter Olympic Games in Oslo and Summer Olympic Games in Helsinki in 1952243.
The next crisis reached Soviet sport some quarter-century later following the escalation of the Cold
War and the beginning of the Soviet-Afghan War in December 1979. In early January 1980, theRussian dissident Andrei Sakharov called for a boycott of the Olympics being held in Moscow laterthat year. The call was ultimately heeded by 65 countries244, leading to only 81 countries
participating in the opening ceremony of the Games.
In 1984, the summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles were boycotted by the athletes from thesocialist countries (except Romania, Yugoslavia and China). Officially, the reason given for thisboycott was the failure of the organizers to guarantee security for the athletes from the USSR and
the Warsaw Pact participants.
The next political perturbation that affected sport globally and involved Russia occurred only a few
years later.
At the end of 1991, the USSR was completely dissolved and the few remaining before the openingof the Olympics of 1992245 were not sufficient to complete all the formalities for the newly
independent countries previously forming parts of the USSR to be admitted as separate members of
the Olympic family.
The Unified Team represented the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) at the 1992
Olympics in both Albertville and Barcelona. In Albertville, the Unified Team was represented by
the five former Soviet republics – Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In
Barcelona, the Unified Team had representatives from all the former Soviet republics, save for theBaltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which competed independently. The Unified Team at242

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/899367 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
https://olympic.ru/100-year/chapter-1/ [in Russian only] (last visited on 23 June 2022).
244
https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/qfp/104481.htm (last visited on 23 June 2022).
245
The Winter Olympics were held from 8 to 23 February 1992; the Summer Olympics from 25 July to 9 August 1992.
243

188

Barcelona also included athletes from Georgia246, which had not joined by then the Commonwealthof Independent States. In 1994 the republics began to compete independently247.
The historical review of Russian sport would not be complete without the reference to the Russian“doping saga”, which commenced on 11 December 2014, when WADA launched the Independent
Commission to investigate the validity of allegations of doping practices; corrupt practices aroundsample collection and results management; and other ineffective administration of anti-doping
processes that implicate Russia in general. Based on the documentary released called ‘Doping – Top
Secret: The Shadowy World of Athletics’, it was alleged that there existed a leaked database,belonging to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) 248, which contained
more than 12,000 blood tests from around 5,000 athletes in the years 2001 to 2012.
On 18 November 2015, WADA declared the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) noncompliant with the WADA Code and, on 18 July 2016, an independent investigation by WADA
concluded that it was shown “beyond a reasonable doubt” that RUSADA, the Russian Ministry ofSport, the Federal Security Service of Russia and the Centre of Sports Preparation of the National
Teams of Russia had “operated for the protection of doped Russian athletes” within a “statedirected failsafe system” using “the disappearing positive [test] methodology”249.
During the next few years the dispute between the Russian sports authorities and WADA went on
and finally resulted in notification by the WADA Executive Committee on 9 December 2019 of the
RUSADA’s non-compliance with the WADA Code250; RUSADA did not accept this and appealed
to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
On 17 December 2020, the CAS Panel rendered the Award in the case CAS 2020/O/6689 World
Anti-Doping Agency v. Russian Anti-Doping Agency251 whereby it endorsed a significant number ofconsequences sought by WADA and ultimately imposed them on Russian sport. In particular, suchconsequences included the following:--

The exclusion of Russian Government representatives from sitting on the boards andcommissions of signatory bodies (with the exception of persons elected or appointed in apersonal capacity to bodies of the IOC/IPC);
The exclusion of Russian Government representatives from attending or participating in the
Olympic/Paralympic Games and World Championships;
The restriction on hosting or bidding for future WADA regulated events;
Banning the Russian flag from being flown at WADA regulated events.

The consequences imposed on RUSADA and Russian sport in general in accordance with the CAS
Award came into effect on the date of the Award and remain in effect until the second anniversaryof that date. As at the date of this Survey this period has not yet expired.

246

Georgia quit the CIS in 2008; Ukraine left the CIS in 2018.
http://www.olympedia.org/countries/EUN (last visited on 23 June 2022).
248
Currently, World Athletics.
249
https://www.wada-ama.org/en/news/wada-statement-independent-investigation-confirms-russian-state-manipulationdoping-control (last visited on 23 June 2022).
250
https://www.wada-ama.org/en/news/wada-executive-committee-unanimously-endorses-four-year-period-noncompliance -russian-anti (last visited on 23 June 2022).
251
https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Award_6689.pdf (last visited on 23 June 2022).
247

189

3. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on Russian
nationals playing abroad?
Based on the information available in the media, Russian football players with contracts in Europe
have not faced any specific impact in the view of the current situation. It has been reported that two
Russian players formerly playing in the Czech Republic had to leave their clubs due to issues with
their working visas252.
On the date of this Survey, there are 45 players active in the National Hockey League, which has
stated its concern “about the well-being of the players from Russia, who play in the NHL on behalfof their NHL Clubs, and not on behalf of Russia”. The NHL emphasized its understanding that theplayers and their families are being placed in an extremely difficult position253.
Among the most remarkable cases one may mention the implications on the tennis players ofRussian or Belarusian nationalities.
On 20 April 2022, on behalf of the All England Club and the Committee of Management of The
Championships, Wimbledon stated that “it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive
any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with The Championships. It istherefore our intention, with deep regret, to decline entries from Russian and Belarusian players to
The Championships 2022”254. As consequence, no tennis players with Russian or Belarusianpassports took part in the Wimbledon tournament 2022.
In response to the Wimbledon’s decision, on the same day as Wimbledon’s statement, the Women’s
Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) stated that “the WTA
will continue to apply its rules to reject discrimination and ensure that all athletes are able tocompete at our Tour events should they qualify to do so, a position that until today’s announcement
has been shared across professional tennis”255 and that “it is important to stress that players from
Russia and Belarus will continue to be allowed to compete at ATP events under a neutral flag, aposition that has until now been shared across professional tennis”256.
Russian and Belarusian tennis players were allowed to take part in at Roland-Garros 2022, theFrench Open .

252

https://www.championat.com/football/news-4658533-dva-rossijskih-igroka-pokinuli-cheshskie-kluby-iz-za-otkazav-vydache-rabochih-viz.html [in Russian only] (last visited on 23 June 2022).
253
https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-statement-on-russia-invasion-of-ukraine/c-331296136 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
254
https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2022-04-20/statement_regarding_russian_and_belarusian_individuals _at_the_championships_2022.html (last visited on 23 June 2022).
255
https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2582411/wta-statement-on-decision-to-ban-russian-belarusian-players (last visitedon 23 June 2022).
256
https://www.atptour.com/en/news/atp-statement-wimbledon-british-grass-swing-april-2022 (last visited on 23 June2022).
190

SERBIABy Ksenija Damjanovic257

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
Serbia258 has not imposed any provision/measure/sanction against Russia259.
On 2 March 2022, Serbia, by respecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine, voted in support of the
UN General Assembly resolution demanding Russia withdraw all military forces from the territoryof Ukraine.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
No provisions/measures/sanctions were taken as the Serbian Olympic Committee and its members
comply with the Olympic charter260 which inter alia states:“Fundamental Principles of Olympism…
5) Recognising that sport occurs within the framework of society, sports organisations within the
Olympic Movement shall apply political neutrality. They have the rights and obligations ofautonomy, which include freely establishing and controlling the rules of sport, determining thestructure and governance of their organisations, enjoying the right of elections free from any
outside influence and the responsibility for ensuring that principles of good governance be applied.
6) The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Olympic Charter shall be secured
without discrimination of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion,
political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
…
2. Mission and role of the IOC
The mission of the IOC is to promote Olympism throughout the world and to lead the Olympic
Movement. The IOC’s role is:…
5) to take action to strengthen the unity of the Olympic Movement, to protect its independence, tomaintain and promote its political neutrality and to preserve the autonomy of sport…
11) to oppose any political or commercial abuse of sport and athletes;…
257

Attorney-at-law practicing in the field of international sports law, UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector, member
of NDRC of Football Association of Serbia.
258
Republic of Serbia
259
Russian Federation
260
Full text of Olympic charter on link:
https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/General/EN-Olympic-Charter.pdf (last visitedon 23 June 2022).
191

27. Mission and role of the NOCs
1) The mission of the NOCs is to develop, promote and protect the Olympic Movement in theirrespective countries, in accordance with the Olympic Charter.
…
5) In order to fulfil their mission, the NOCs may cooperate with governmental bodies, with which
they shall achieve harmonious relations. However, they shall not associate themselves with any
activity which would be in contradiction with the Olympic Charter. The NOCs may also cooperatewith non-governmental bodies.
6) The NOCs must preserve their autonomy and resist all pressures of any kind, including but notlimited to political, legal, religious or economic pressures which may prevent them from complying
with the Olympic Charter….” (emphasis added)
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
There are no precedents to the best of my knowledge.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
There has been no reaction against the Russian sponsors.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country ?
As far as I know, up to now there have been no consequences on or due to performance ofcontractual obligations by either party.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

192

KINGDOM OF SPAIN
By Josep Francesc Vandellos Alamilla and Irene Aguiar Gallardo261

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
The Spanish Government reacted without delay to the international outcry following the Russian
invasion of Ukraine.
Following the so-called “Statement on Russia’s War on Ukraine & International Sport262” of 8
March 2022, signed by 38 ministers of sport of around the world, on 9 March 2022, the Spanish
Government encouraged the international sports community to continue supporting Ukrainian sport
wherever possible while insisting respecting Russian residents in Spain, who cannot be blamed forthe actions of their government.263
With regards to measures not related to sports, one must start by remarking that Spain, as a memberof the European Union, is fully aligned with the measures adopted by the latter.264
Furthermore, on 29 March 2022, the Spanish Government passed the Royal Decree 6/2022,265 bywhich urgent measures were adopted within the framework of the National Plan to respond to theeconomic and social consequences of the war in Ukraine. These measures are mainly aimed atcountering and alleviating the negative effects of the invasion in energy prices and the ripple effectof it to the entire economy, and includes aids of different kinds to multiple sectors of the economy
and population.
A second Royal Decree, 9/2022 was passed on 26 April 2022.266 The purpose of this law by royal
decree is to establish a new special rule, so that within the framework of the international financial
sanctions imposed by the European Union due to the war in Ukraine, it is also possible to record inregistries, the prohibition of disposing of real estate, assets or rights when there are reasonableindications that the owner is on the list of sanctioned persons. The law reads: “This is an
exceptional measure that serves to facilitate the effectiveness of the sanctions and that is due to the261

Josep F. Vandellós Alamilla is an independent sports lawyer based in Valencia (Spain). He is a member of theeditorial board of LawinSport; a member of the Ethics Committee of the Ukrainian Football Federation and a memberof the Ethics Committee of the IMMAF. In 2018, he published the book “Football Coach-related disputes, a criticalanalysis of the FIFA Players’ Status Committee decisions and CAS awards” Ed. M. Colucci. He is also the co-academic
director of the ISDE “Global Master in Sports Management and Legal Skills with FC Barcelona”. He studied law at the
Universitat Pompeu Fabra of Barcelona and holds a Master’s degree in International Business and EU Law from
Universite de Paris 1-Sorbonne. E-mail: josep@sports-law.eu.
Irene Aguiar Gallardo is a Spanish sports lawyer. She studied Business Management and Law at the Rey Juan Carlos
University and has a Master’s degree in Sports Law and Management from ISDE. She is a member of the Board of
Directors of the Sports Law Association of Madrid and a member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal Spanish
Handball Federation. She is also lecturer in sports law programmes in ISDE, LaLiga Business School and the American
University of El Cairo (Egypt).
262
https://agenparl.eu/statement-on-russias-war-on-ukraine-international-sport/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
263
https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/serviciosdeprensa/notasprensa/cultura/Paginas/2022/090322-medidas-veto-rusia.aspx(last visited on 23 June 2022).
264
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/es/policies/sanctions/restrictive-measures-against-russia-over-ukraine /historyrestrictive-measures-against-russia-over-ukraine/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
265
https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2022-4972 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
266
https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2022-6763 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
193

urgent and extraordinary need to adopt dissuasive measures that contribute to putting a stop to thecurrent armed conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible”.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
On 25 February 2020 the Spanish Olympic Committee immediately joined the condemnation of theInternational Olympic Committee to the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian
government.267
Thereafter, on 9 March 2022, the Spanish Government, acting through the Ministry of Culture andSports, announced the adoption of the following measures:a) In coordination with Spanish sports federations, a ban was agreed on the participation of national
teams, clubs and other sports organizations, as well as athletes selected by Russia, or
alternatively that athletes compete under the Russian flag, in all international competitionsorganized in the Spanish territory.
b) Athletes, clubs and all Spanish sports federations were requested not to take part in any sports
events organized in Russia.
c) Where possible, organizations were requested to limit sponsorship and any kind of financial
support from entities linked to the Russian Federation.
d) All national and international sports organizations and all relevant entities were requested not tosanction athletes, coaches, officials or public workers who opt for unilaterally terminating theircontracts with Russian or Belarussian clubs, and not to prosecute or sanction event organizers
who decide to ban the participation of athletes or teams selected by Russia.
LaLiga condemned the invasion from day one and on 25 February 2022 announced the display ofbanners in stadiums and during the broadcasting (national and international) of matches with theslogan “no to invasion”. 268 Also, on 24 March 2022 it signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with the Ukrainian Premier League to promote football development.269
The Royal Spanish Football Federation also condemned the invasion from the start through astatement issued on 26 February 2022270.
Other Spanish sports federations decided to adopt further measures:-

The Royal Spanish Motorsports Federation decided to forbid the participation of athletes,
competitors, officials and any other person or entity with Russian or Belarussian sport
license in national and international competitions on 9 March 2022271.
The Royal Spanish Cycling Federation modified its regulations on 11 March 2022, in orderto add that, for the duration of the measures adopted by the Spanish Government related to267

https://www.coe.es/noticias/detalle-noticia/NEW-107e88c4-4010-4bf2-95c0-e277f0cb8c9f/el-coe-se-suma-a-lacondena-del-coi-del-incumplimiento-de-la-tregua-olimpica/ (last visited on 23 June 2022).
268
https://www.laliga.com/noticias/el-mensaje-no-a-la-guerra-podra-verse-en-todos-los-partidos-de-la-jornada-enlaliga-santander-y-laliga-smartbank (last visited on 23 June 2022).
269
https://www.laliga.com/en-GB/news/laliga-and-ukrainian-premier-league-sign-mou-to-further-the-development-offootball (last visited on 23 June 2022).
270
https://www.rfef.es/noticias/comunicado-oficial-todos-tecnicos-y-futbolistas-espanoles-ya-estan-salvo-abandonarucrania (last visited on 23 June 2022).
271
https://www.rfeda.es/noticias/c/0/i/62919967/posicionamiento-de-la-real-federacion-espanola-de-automovilismoante-la-invasion-de-ucrania (last visited on 23 June 2022).
194-the restriction of participation in competitions of Russian and Belarusian teams and athletes,
Russian and Belarusian teams and athletes may not participate in any of its competitions,
except for athletes of Russian or Belarusian nationality who compete individually without
representing their nation, or within teams other than those of Russian or Belarusiannationality272.
The Royal Spanish Swimming Federation expressed its total rejection of the invasion and its
support for the Ukrainian people, requesting “that the indiscriminate attacks cease and peace
be restored”. In addition, the federation showed its total alignment with the decision of othersports federations not to participate in sports events in which athletes, officials and/or teams
representing Russia and Belarus are registered; as well as showing its support for thedecisions adopted in this matter by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) and theEuropean Swimming League (LEN)273 on 27 March 2022.

Spanish sports organisations have also showed their solidarity with the Ukranian people:--

On 29 March 2022 LaLiga launched the campaign “Hacemos equipo por la Paz” with its
clubs and the Spanish Red Cross, with several initiatives, such as a fundraising, solidarity
auctions or collecting of medicines and other essential goods.274 LaLiga’s clubs have also
carried out numerous actions like donations, fundraisings, collecting food and essential
goods and providing their buses for the travel of the Ukrainian refugees. 275
The Royal Spanish Football Federation started a crowdfunding campaign276 and donatedsportswear to Ukranian refugees. 277
The Royal Spanish Athletics Federation offered in March 2022 to host Ukrainian athletes,
and is hosting 18 Ukrainians (athletes, families and trainers) in Spain for 50 days. The
federation is also organizing two races whose registrations will go entirely to help this groupof Ukrainian athletes.278

3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
N/A
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
The most relevant cases that appeared in the press concerned football sponsorship deals, inparticular the sponsorship contracts with Russian companies of the two biggest clubs in Spain. The
two clubs have reacted very differently.

272

https://rfec.com/index.php/es/smartweb/seccion/noticia/rfec/home/47518-COMUNICADO-RFEC-Participacion-deequipos-y-deportistas-de-nacionalidad-rusa-y-bielorrusa- (last visited on 23 June 2022).
273
https://rfen.es/es/posts/news/334484 (last visited on 23 June 2022).
274
https://www.laliga.com/noticias/laliga-lanza-la-campana-de-apoyo-a-ucrania-hacemos-equipo-por-la-paz(lastvisited on 23 June 2022).
275
https://www.laliga.com/laliga-con-ucrania (last visited on 23 June 2022).
276
https://www.rfef.es/noticias/rfef-y-cruz-roja-lanzan-plataforma-microdonaciones-apoyar-refugiados-ucrania (lastvisited on 23 June 2022).
277
https://www.rfef.es/noticias/rfef-donara-su-stock-ropa-deportiva-personas-ucranianas-refugiadas-espana (last visitedon 23 June 2022).
278
https://www.rfea.es/web/noticias/desarrollo.asp?codigo=16184#.Yoese5NBzBI (last visited on 23 June 2022).
195

Real Madrid cancelled the regional sponsorship contract it had in place since January 2021279 with
the Russian betting company “Fonbet” and decided to donate through its foundation €1m280 and
13,000 items of clothing and sporting equipment to alleviate the humanitarian needs of those
displaced in Ukrainian.
A different approach has been taken by FC Barcelona, who to this date, maintains Russian betting
company “1xBET” as one of their global sponsors.281

279

https://www.realmadrid.com/en/about-real-madrid/the-club/sponsors/fonbet (last visited on 23 June 2022).
https://www.realmadrid.com/en/news/2022/03/16/real-madrid-to-donate-one-million-euros-to-help-displacedpeople-in-ukraine (last visited on 23 June 2022).
281
https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/1263451/fc-barcelona-adds-1xbet-as-a-new-global-partner (last visited on 23
June 2022).
280

196

SWEDEN
By Marie-Anne Lindhardt282

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
As an EU Member State, Sweden participates in the restrictive measures against Russia sanctionedby the EU.283
The restrictive measures taken are many, but to mention a few, there are prohibitions on various
exports/imports from and to Russia, sanctions targeted towards certain Russian citizens (frozen
assets and prohibition of movements for such individuals), as well as sanctions targeting Russian
media, banks, tourism and transportation. Numerous Russian banks284 have for example been
excluded from the SWIFT system.285
The Swedish Government have also banned Russian aircraft from entering Swedish airspace286 andcalls, among other things, for a boycott of sporting exchange with Russia287.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
As early as 26 February 2022, the Swedish Football Association (the “SvFF”) announced that if themale representative team of Sweden ended up in a World Cup Qualifier play-off round against
Russia, the Swedish team would withdraw from the competition. The team would accept a walkover regardless of the location for the relevant match. The SvFF also called on FIFA to cancel all
the World Cup Qualifiers in which Russia was or would be scheduled to participate during March
2022.288
When FIFA initially, a few days later, announced that Russia would be entitled to participate in theWorld Cup Qualifiers on neutral ground, without their national anthem and without the Russianflag, the SvFF declared their disappointment over FIFA’s decision and that they intended to keep on
pushing for the cancellation of the play-off matches in which the Russian representative team would
be scheduled to participate.289 When FIFA later suspended the Russian representative team fromparticipating in any FIFA competitions until further notice, it was publicly welcomed by the SvFF.

282

Partner at MAQS Law Firm.
https://www.regeringen.se/regeringens-politik/rysslands-invasion-av-ukraina/sammanstallning-av-sanktioner-motryssland/ (last visited on 3 May 2022).
284
Bank Otkritie, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Rossiya Bank, Sovcombank, Vnesheconombank (VEB) and VTB
Bank.
285
https://www.regeringen.se/regeringens-politik/rysslands-invasion-av-ukraina/sammanstallning-av-sanktioner-motryssland/ (last visited on 26 April 2022).
286
https://transportstyrelsen.se/sv/luftfart/Flygresenar/stangt-luftrum/ (last visited on 1 May 2022).
287
https://www.regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2022/02/regeringen-uppmanar-till-bojkott-av-rysk-idrott/ (last visitedon 2 May 2022).
288
https://svff.svenskfotboll.se/nyheter/2022/02/svff-herrlandslaget-kommer-inte-att-spela-mot-ryssland/ (last visited on
26 April 2022).
289
https://svff.svenskfotboll.se/nyheter/2022/02/svffryssland/ (last visited on 26 April 2022).
283

197

There were also several other sports associations that were swift in their response in relation to theactions taken by Russia against Ukraine. For example, the Swedish Ski Association declared that
Swedish skiers would not participate in any competitions held in Russia, and that according to the
Swedish Ski Association, competitions should not even be held in Russia. 290 The world’s biggest
cross-country ski race Vasaloppet decided that no Russian or Belarusian nationals were entitled toparticipate in the 2022 edition of Vasaloppet.291 The Swedish Boxing Federation decided that
Russian pro boxers would not be entitled to fight in Sweden and that boxers licensed in Sweden
would not be entitled to fight Russian boxers abroad.292 The Swedish Athletic Federation decided
that they will not participate in any competitions, conferences or other activities arranged in Russia.
They also strongly recommended Swedish organisers not invite any Russian athletes tocompetitions or other gatherings in Sweden.293
In addition to the individual sports associations’ response to the Russian invasion, the fact that theSwedish Sports Confederation (the umbrella organisation for the Swedish sports movement) has
requested 50 million SEK from the Swedish Government should be highlighted. The money has
been requested from the government for the purpose of supporting Swedish club’s efforts to provide
assistance through activities for the people arriving in Sweden from Ukraine. 294
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
To the best of our knowledge, there are no such precedents.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
Due to the lack of Russian sponsorships in Swedish sports, there have been no such reactions.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And vice versa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
At the end of March 2022, the Swedish basketball superstar Jonas Jerebko made a controversial
decision when he decided to sign for CSKA Moscow. The reaction from his Swedish sponsor
Nocco, with which he had had a sponsorship relationship during the past three years, was imminent.
Nocco decided to terminate their sponsorship with Jerebko with immediate effect.295
Swedish ice hockey players that choose to play in KHL during next season, need to be aware thatthe intention of the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation is to take a formal decision suspending Swedish
players in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) from representing the national team “Tre Kronor”

290

https://www.skidor.com/foljoss/nyhetsflode/aktuelltfranssf/2022/svenskaskidforbundetomryskadeltagareitav
lingarisverige (last visited on 16 May 2022).
291
https://www.vasaloppet.se/en/news/no-russian-or-belarusian-participation-in-vasaloppet-2022/ (last visited on 16
May 2022).
292
http://svenskaproffsboxningskommissionen.se/uncategorized/den-ryska-invasionen-av-ukraina/ (last visited on 27
April 2022).
293
https://www.friidrott.se/Nyheter/allmannanyheter/2022/Februari/SvenskFriidrottbojkottarallaarrangemangiRyssland(last visited on 16 May 2022).
294
https://www.rf.se/Nyheter/Allanyheter/rfbegar50miljonerformottagandefranukraina (last visited on 27 April 2022).
295
https://www.svd.se/a/Ean0Jo/sponsor-bryter-med-jerebko (last visited on 16 May 2022).
198

from the next season. 296 The same will most likely apply for Swedish bandy players playing in
Russia, who will not be entitled to represent the Swedish national teams in bandy. 297
Apart from above, Swedish players representing a Russian or Ukrainian club will of course also beaffected on an economical level, since their employment has been or will be affected by insecurity(related to the issues of working during the war), been suspended or terminated. For example, mostof the Swedish football players playing in Russia or Ukraine have had their contracts suspended andhave signed short term-contracts in accordance with the temporary rules issued by FIFA. Thesesituations obviously have affected the contractual, economic and social situations of the players.
In regard to Russian players in Sweden, the Swedish Bandy Federation intends to issue a strong
formal recommendation for Swedish clubs, stipulating that Swedish clubs shall not enter into any
employment contracts with Russian players. Russian players already in Sweden, i.e. prior to theissuance of the recommendation, should not be affected.298 As to my knowledge, this issue has notbeen addressed by any other national federation.
Regarding Russian athletes participating in sport competitions in Sweden, numerous of organisation
have stated that Russian athletes should not be invited to participate in sports competitions in
Sweden (see also under section 2 above). An example of an organizer that decided that Russian
athletes should be suspended from participating in its competition is Vasaloppet; another is theGothenburg Half-Marathon.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
There are no other relevant issues we’d like to report, but we’d like to mention the huge support andeffort put in from the sports community by athletes, clubs, association, and supporters in relation to
the Ukrainian people arriving in Sweden. Swedish sports have a history of being accessible andsupporting young people and are a vital part of the Swedish integration system. As mentioned
above, the Swedish Sports Confederation has asked for additional funds to invest in clubs which
participate in the work to uphold and increase the integration of the people that have fled from
Ukraine. Björn Eriksson, president of the Swedish Sports Confederation, has said that there are 750
clubs that could make a difference and who could offer occupation, healthy and active spare time
and the possibility to be part of a community, as a way into the Swedish society. 299

296

https://via.tt.se/pressmeddelande/information-med-anledning-av-svenska-spelare-i-khl?publisherId=2133149&
releaseld= 3321665 (last visited on 17 May 2022).
297
https://www.ttela.se/sport/bandy/bandyf%C3%B6rbundet-vill-stoppa-ryska-spelare-1.72845241 (last visited on 17
May 2022).
298
https://www.ttela.se/sport/bandy/bandyf%C3%B6rbundet-vill-stoppa-ryska-spelare-1.72845241 (last visited on 17
May 2022).
299
https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/idrotten-vill-ha-mer-stod-for-att-integrera-flyktingar-fran-ukraina (last visited on 27
April 2022).
199

SWITZERLAND
By Kai Ludwig

300

301

and Rafael Brägger

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
On 28 February 2022, the Federal Council (the Swiss national government) decided to adopt the
sanctions issued against Russia by the European Union. All sanctions introduced by Switzerland in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia are based on, and governed by, the Federal Council’s“Ordinance on measures in connection with the situation in Ukraine” of 4 March 2022 (Swiss
Classified Compilation no. SR 946.231.176.72) and its annexes (currently numbering 23). The
relevant Ordinance and its annexes have been revised several times since their entry into force, mostrecently on 10 June 2022. The constitutional basis of the Ordinance is art. 184 para. 3 of the Swiss
Federal Constitution (Swiss Classified Compilation no. SR 101) which states that where
safeguarding the interests of the country so requires, the Federal Council may issue ordinances andrulings. The Ordinance’s second legal basis is art. 2 of the Federal Act on the Implementation ofInternational Sanctions of 22 March 2002 (Embargo Act; Swiss Classified Compilation no. SR
946.231) which declares the Federal Council competent to enact compulsory measures in the formof ordinances.
The sanctions Switzerland has adopted can be categorized into four different categories: (1) Goods
measures (such as a ban on luxury goods (like watches, jewelry, wine), a ban on goods for theenergy sector); (2) Financial measures (such as asset freezes – as of 12 May 2022, 6.3 billion Swiss
francs in assets are blocked in Switzerland – and a prohibition on granting loans); (3) Measuresconcerning specified territories (such as a prohibition on the import of goods originating from thespecified territories without a certificate of origin issued by Ukrainian authorities, a ban on theexport of certain goods and related services to the specified territories); (4) Other measures (such as
travel sanctions, a ban on take-off and landing of Russian aircraft).
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
Switzerland is home not only to its own national sports federations, but also to most majorinternational federations (e.g. FIFA, UEFA, UCI, FIS, IHF) and to the International Olympic
Committee (IOC). It is therefore no surprise that Switzerland has been under a particular spotlightwhen discussions about implementing sanctions against Russia in the sports sector arose.
Indeed, several international sports federations domiciled in Switzerland have adopted wide-ranging
sanctions against Russian sports entities. To give but a few examples:
-

300
301

On 28 February 2022, both FIFA and UEFA suspended all Russian teams (national teams andclubs) from their competitions until further notice. This in particular affected participation of theRussian national teams in the European qualifier playoffs for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in
Qatar, the UEFA Nations League (men) and in the European U-17 Championships (women), as
well as participation of Russian football clubs in UEFA club competitions such as the UEFA
Attorney at Law at monteneri sports law, Zurich, kl@monteneri.com
Attorney at Law at Pachmann AG, Zurich, rafael.braegger@pachmann.law
200

-

-

Champions League. The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed these decisions on a prima
facie basis on 15 and 18 March 2022 when denying requests for provisional measures (a stay of
execution of the FIFA Council’s and the UEFA Executive Committee’s decisions; CAS
2022/A/8708 & 8709) that had been submitted by the Football Union of Russia (FUR).
Moreover, UEFA decided to pull the final of the UEFA Champions League 2021/2022 awayfrom Saint Petersburg. The FUR as such, on the other hand, has not been suspended by FIFA or
UEFA so far (as an example, an FUR delegate participated in the UEFA Congress on 11 May2022). The same applies to Russian UEFA Executive Committee member Alexander Dyukov,
who continues to act in his office to date.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) expelled Russia and Belarus from the IIHF
World Championships 2022 and on 26 April 2022 also revoked its right to stage the IIHF WorldChampionships 2023.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) Council, on 1 March 2022, banned all Russian andBelarussian athletes from its competitions effective immediately.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) suspended all Russian teams from all races under its
aegis, inter alia the ProTeam “Gazprom-RusVelo”.
In contrast, the IOC has decided not to suspend Russian IOC members. The IOC Executive
Board however recommended, on 25 and 28 February 2022, that international sports federations
and sports event organizers shall not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarussian
athletes and officials in international competitions and shall not organize any sports event in
Russia or Belarus. This is a recommendation only and is not binding upon international sports
federations.

On the Swiss national level, as far as can be seen, neither the Swiss National Olympic Committee(Swiss Olympic Association) nor national sports federations have taken any specific, independentaction concerning Russia. On 9 March 2022, the Swiss minister for sports Viola Amherd, together
with several sports ministers and secretaries of state for sports from Europe, North America, Asiaand Oceania, signed a declaration condemning Russia’s attack on Ukraine and recommending to allinternational sports federations that (i) Russia and Belarus should no longer be allowed to hostinternational sporting events, that (ii) top athletes, teams and officials representing the two countries
should be barred from competing in other countries, and that (iii) where possible, measures should
be taken against sports-related investments such as sponsorship and financial support with links to
the Russian state.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
To our knowledge, there are no precedents of reactions to a similar situation in the past.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
On 28 February 2022, UEFA announced that it had cancelled its sponsorship agreement with
“Gazprom” effective immediately.
In Switzerland, first division hockey club EV Zug has an ongoing sponsoring agreement with “NordStream AG”, a Swiss-based company with close connections to Russian “Gazprom”. On 25
February 2022, the club issued a public statement that that agreement would be suspended until
further notice, although both parties did not consider there to be an obligation to do so underinternational nor under national laws. The club’s announcement followed a public statement by the201

Swiss Ice Hockey Federation that it would welcome the club removing the sponsor’s logo from its
jerseys, but that the final decision would lie with the club.
A sister company of “Nord Stream AG” named “Nord Stream 2 AG”, which is domiciled in
Switzerland, too, is a sponsor of the European Handball Federation Champions League. On 25
February 2022, the EHF announced that clubs were released of their implementation obligations
related to the sponsorship. “Nord Stream 2 AG” was granted so-called provisional deferment ofdebt in accordance with arts. 293a ss. of the Swiss Federal Act on Debt Collection and Bankruptcy(Swiss Classified Compilation no. SR 281.1) by a court ruling of 10 May 2022 until 10 September
2022. Whether this company will resume its activities in Switzerland remains unclear to date.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And vice versa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
In accordance with a recommendation by FIFA, the Swiss Football League opened an additionaltransfer window for players from Ukraine and Russia between 22 March and 7 April 2022.
There are currently no known restrictions for athletes of Russian nationality playing in Switzerland.
However, it must be added that there generally are only very few Russian nationals playing in
Switzerland’s elite football (currently only one player in the first division and no player in thesecond division) and hockey leagues.
The above applies mutatis mutandis to Swiss nationals playing in Russia. For instance, no Swiss
football or hockey players are currently playing in Russia’s elite divisions.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

202

REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
By Anil Gursoy Artan302

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
Since Turkey is not a member of the European Union, it is not bound to observe the EU sanctions
on Russia, and it has avoided imposing unilateral sanctions.
The Turkish government has designated the Russian invasion as a “war,” giving it the right underthe 1936 Montreux Convention to close the Bosporus Strait – which leads to the Black Sea – towarships. Although this action applies to any naval vessel, it is clearly aimed at Russia’s fleet incase Moscow seeks to reinforce the firepower it already has there. Turkey’s decision is, at least, an
important symbolic one in support of Ukraine.
From the beginning of the Russian invasion, Turkey has played a major role in the search for an end
to the Ukraine war.
Turkey convinced both parties to gather at a meeting in Turkey and asked them to settle on ending
the war, cease fire, humanitarian corridor etc. Some of these meetings ended successfully.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports associations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
In compliance with FIFA guidelines the Turkish Football Federation reopened the transfer market
window for players coming from Russia or Ukraine. We have not seen any other sports association
take provisions/measures/sanctions.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
None.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
No.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
302

Sports Lawyer
203

On 12 April 2022, the Turkish Union of Clubs brought 126 Ukrainian kids, whose ages were
between 7-16 to Turkey via a charter flight. From their arrival until now these kids have been living
at the academies of four Turkish Super League Clubs: Trabzonspor, Çaykur Rizespor, Sivasspor
and Kayserispor. All the Super League expressed a desire to host Ukrainian kids, however only
these four club’s academies were eligible.
Several Ukrainian sports teams (National Deaf Basketball Team, National Deaf Orienteering Teamand one football club) who were in Turkey when the war began could not return to their country andare still being hosted in Turkey.

204

UKRAINE
By Yuliya Bogdanova303 and Roman Morozov304

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
In connection with the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, by the Decreeof the President of Ukraine № 64/2022 a martial law regime was imposed from 05:30 on 24
February 2022 for a period of 30 days (a martial law regime in Ukraine is defined as a special legal
regime imposed in the event of a threat to national security. Proposals to impose martial law in
Ukraine or in certain localities shall be submitted to the President of Ukraine for consideration by
the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine). The martial law regime has been prolonged
several times and is set currently to end on 23 August 2022; however, of course, if the war is notover then, it will be prolonged again.
With regard to the imposition of martial law, all competitions in all kinds of sport on the territory of
Ukraine were suspended. Immediately after the start of the war, international European cup matches
involving Ukrainian basketball, handball and tennis (Davis Cup) teams were urgently transferredabroad, including the match of the UEFA Youth League U-19 Dynamo - Sporting. Since then, no
official competitions have been held on the territory of Ukraine. Most teams were forced tosignificantly reduce their maintenance costs, and some sports teams from the territories, whichsuffered the most from the war, even announced the termination of their existence.
It should be noted that for the period of martial law, it is forbidden for men aged 18-60 who are fit
for military service to leave Ukraine. Ukrainian male athletes who were outside the country on 24
February, when the war has started could continue to stay there and theoretically find themselves a
new place of employment. The mandatory return of men to Ukraine is not yet foreseen by thecurrent legislation, although certain political initiatives regarding it have already arisen. Many
players took advantage of their presence abroad, given that during this period, most of the footballclubs of the first and second leagues (second and third tier respectively) were at training camps inTurkey. A significant number of football players did not dare to return to unsafe Ukraine, andpreferred to find minimally acceptable options in other countries.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organizations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
Since 24 February 2022, the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the national federations of allkind of sports have called on the entire global sporting community at all levels to take measuresagainst Russian and Belarusian athletes as a sporting response to the invasion.
On 3 March 2022, in more than 30 other countries, including the United States, France, Germany,
Australia, Japan, Canada, Italy and Poland, a virtual summit took place, which resulted in a joint
deceleration of 37 countries as follows:

303
304

CEO of Box-to-Box LLC, sports lawyer, Ukraine
Deputy head of the Ukrainian Association of professional football players / member of the UAF DRC
205

“We, as a collective of like-minded nations, affirm our support for international sportorganizations’ position that:--

Russia and Belarus should not be permitted to host, bid for or be awarded any
international sporting events.
Individual athletes selected by Russia and Belarus, administrators and teams
representing the Russian or Belarusian state should be banned from competing in othercountries, including those representing bodies, cities or brands that are effectively
representing Russia or Belarus, such as major football clubs.
Wherever possible, appropriate actions should be taken to limit sponsorship and otherfinancial support from entities with links to the Russian or Belarusian states.

We call on all international sport federations to endorse these principles, and applaud all thosethat have done so already. We also welcome the International Paralympic Committee’s decision
to prevent Russia’s and Belarus’ athletes from competing in the 2022 Winter Paralympics in
Beijing. These restrictions should be in place until cooperation under the fundamental
principles of international law has become possible again.
We encourage all international sport organizations and all relevant legal bodies not to sanction
athletes, coaches or officials who decide unilaterally to terminate their contracts with Russian,Belarusian or Ukrainian clubs, as well as not to pursue or to sanction sport organizers which
decide to ban athletes or teams selected by Russia or Belarus.
Furthermore, we encourage the international sport community to continue to show its solidarity
with the people of Ukraine, including through supporting the continuation of Ukrainian sport
where possible”.
It is important to underline that the international sports organizations, where possible, provided
Ukrainian athletes with additional time to prepare for international competitions. Many sports
leagues and clubs organized the collection and sending of a large amount of humanitarian aid to
Ukraine. At the matches of most European championships, actions of solidarity with Ukraine were
held, as well as campaigns to collect assistance for refugees and victims. The leaders of Ukrainian
football, FC Dynamo Kyiv and FC Shakhtar Donetsk, held a series of charity friendly matches withlocal clubs in different European countries.
Some clubs have expressed their readiness to help with the restoration of the destroyed sporting
infrastructure. Now attention is on resolving the issue of allocating targeted financial assistance to
Ukrainian professional football players from the special FIFA/FIFPRO Fund, from which funds
have already been allocated to help the families of the killed football players. An important aspectof assistance in the evacuation of refugees was the readiness of European countries to hostchildren's and youth sports teams.
Neighboring states have offered to Ukraine to hold domestic competitions on their territory withcompensation for part of the costs. FC Shakhtar Donetsk received an indirect benefit from what ishappening, having directly entered the group of the UEFA Champions League 2022/2023 due to thedisqualification of Russian teams.
Most foreign players in Ukraine expressed their desire to leave the territory of our country after 24
February. In this regard, we would like to separately note the work of those Ukrainian clubadministrations that faced the issue of organizing the departure of the foreign players from Ukraine
immediately after the start of the war. In the conditions of the chaos that prevailed in the first days206

of the war, many kilometers of queues at gas stations, shops and pharmacies, incessant rocket
attacks, club employees, often postponing the issue of saving their own families for later, andsuccessfully completed the task of evacuating the foreign players from Ukraine.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organizations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
In fact, the military actions initiated and carried out by Russia against Ukraine have been ongoingsince 2014. The international community did not react particularly actively to the annexation of
Crimea by Russia and the war in the east of Ukraine. Afterwards, the Minsk agreements weresigned, and the degree of confrontation decreased. Since then, the state authorities of Ukraine,
NOCs and sports federations have tried in every possible way to comply with the national interests
through intensive diplomacy, in which they have been successful: since 2014, the vast majority ofcountries have refused to officially recognize Crimea as a territory of the Russian Federation, or torecognize the independence of the so-called Donetsk National Republic (“DNR”) and the Lugansk
National Republic (“LNR”).
Accordingly, international business could not develop in any legal form in the mentioned territories,
and their sports system naturally ended up in isolation – hence the emergence of the so-called the"Crimean Football Union", which for obvious reasons could not join the Football Union of Russia(FUR), and the "republican federations" in so-called DNR and LNR – amateur teams were formed
there from local residents and unrecognized competitions were held. In some cases, athletes moved
from these territories to Russia and, having received citizenship, competed for it in international
competitions.
At the same time, no significant sanctions were applied to Russia itself for invading Ukraine andseizing its territories. A symbol of the global community's tragic misunderstanding of the scale ofthe threat from the Russian Federation was the holding of the World Cup in this country - thesecond largest sporting event - after only 4 years after the annexation of Crimea.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
There were no Russian sponsors in Ukraine (at least officially).
But we’d like to give some information regarding the sponsorship and making relevant contacts: ofcourse, the sports sector has already received very significant losses due to the unplannedsuspension of the competitions. And, despite the status of the affected party, we predict a significant
decline in the attention and financial injections of potential sponsors and partners to Ukrainian
sports until the situation in the country is completely normalized.
Apparently, for some time, the entities of the Ukrainian sports will lose the opportunity to invite
qualified athletes from abroad to strengthen certain positions – accordingly, international interest
into our domestic competitions will inevitably decrease. At the same time, no information has
appeared in the public field about the termination or suspension of major contracts so far. In any
case, betting companies, which are the main market sponsors of Ukrainian sports, declare theirintention to continue cooperation.
One should also understand the peculiarity of Ukrainian professional sports: the vast majority ofteams are financed by single businessmen on their own, and therefore the existence of teams
207depends entirely on the success of their owner's business. Now the country is going through a deep
economic crisis, the fall in GDP is estimated at around 50%, so it is not yet possible to make longterm forecasts.
Considering the situation on the example of football, we state that all 16 clubs participating in the
Ukrainian Premier League have confirmed their intention to participate in the 2022/2023 season andare preparing to provide appropriate financial guarantees. As for the lower divisions, they,
apparently, are waiting for a comprehensive optimization, designed, above all, to ensure cost
reduction and the safety of competitors.
5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And vice versa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
At the initiative of the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF), after the annexation of Crimea by
Russia and the occupation of part of the Donbas under the guise of creating the “DNR” and the“LNR”, not a single footballer or stakeholder was allowed to participate in any competitions under
the auspices of the UAF.
On the proposal of the Security Service of Ukraine in 2017, the football justice authorities of the
UAF disqualified 18 football players for the so-called “teams” of “L/DNR”, and last year
disqualified a further 26 players.
On 11 March 2022 the UAF decided to strip all sports and state regalia and ban for life Anatoly
Tymoshchuk, a long-term captain and holder of record number of appearances for the Ukrainian
national team. The reason for the ban given to Tymoshchuk, who has retired from playing and is
now a part of the coaching staff of FC Zenit (St. Petersburg, Russia), was his public silence about
the war in Ukraine.
At the same time, in Ukrainian sports, there has not been any discrimination based on the principleof nationality, or a ban on the participation of Russians in competitions on the territory of Ukraine.
Until now, individual eSports teams are proportionately composed of Ukrainians and Russians.
6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
Before the war, professional sports in our country developed quite dynamically (including due tothe recent legalization of betting activities and the adoption of the Law “On patronage in sports”,
which attracted many businessmen to finance sports teams), and a government programme wasactively implemented in the field of mass sports. The programme, “25 sports magnets”, involved aframework for the construction of large multifunctional modern sports complexes for physicalculture and sports purposes which were carried out in all regions of Ukraine.
A huge number of small multifunctional grounds were built throughout the country, where everyone
could workout for free, as well as mini-football, basketball, handball, volleyball, table tennis, etc. In
places where this infrastructure has survived, people continue to actively engage in physicaleducation, which is one of the few remaining affordable and enjoyable activities from the “pre-war
times”. Where possible, classes have resumed in children's and youth sports schools and categories.
As for student sports, all higher education institutions have been transferred to remote mode during
wartime, as during the quarantine associated with the covid-19 epidemic – thus, students have208

access to sports activities along with other citizens, but separate competitions for them cannot takeplace. Local authorities, despite all the difficulties, contribute to mass physical education.
At the same time, after a long break, many teams are now holding training camps and charity
matches, raising funds for the needs of the victims and the army. Athletes themselves actively help
in this by organizing public auctions for the sale of valuable items belonging to them: individual
prizes, medals, commemorative T-shirts, etc. Famous former and current athletes (the Klitschkobrothers, Andriy Shevchenko, Elina Svitolina and many others) have actually become Ukraine's
ambassadors, providing the country with international assistance and support.
During this time, about 2,000 professional athletes voluntarily took up arms to defend Ukraine,
Unfortunately, as a result of the hostilities, about 60 of them have been killed.
A lot of sporting infrastructure facilities have been destroyed. The UAF, together with thestakeholders of the Ukrainian football, is now preparing claims to the ECHR and international
courts in order to compensate the affected parties for the caused damage.
Due to the impossibility of a fully-fledged preparation for competition, all the national teams of
Ukraine are now training abroad, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports has fully organized thisprocess. Many youth teams have also been sent abroad, where they have all the conditions for
comfortable living and training – thanks to the assistance provided by the international community.
Having assessed the catastrophic consequences of the refusal to hold national championships, after
lengthy consultations with the government and law enforcement agencies, it was decided to fully
resume professional football competitions. The preliminary date for then restart is 23 August 2022.
A security protocol is now under development, which is supposed to be based on the experience ofcountries with high level of terrorist threats, including Israel.
Matches are supposed to be played without spectators. It is possible that the participants of theUEFA competitions will play their home matches for some time in the territory of one of theneighboring countries. There are a number of serious organizational difficulties, but we expect toovercome them.
Despite all difficulties since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion Ukrainian athletes
have won 619 medals in official international competitions in Olympic and non-Olympic sports andsports for people with disabilities: 296 gold medals, 176 silver medals and 147 bronze.

209

REPUBLICA ORIENTAL DEL URUGUAY
By Dr. Felipe Vasquez Rivera305

Questions:
1. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, has your government introduced in
response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia?
Through various pronouncements, Uruguay has expressed its clear condemnation of the violation of
the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine by military forces of the RussianFederation, considering it a violation of international law and the principles of the Charter of theUN, also emphasizing the need for the conflict to be resolved by peaceful means.
The Uruguayan Foreign Ministry published two press releases on February 23 and 24 expressing
Uruguay’s position. Also, President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, publicly expressed his firm
position on the matter.
In accordance with these pronouncements, Uruguay intervened in the United Nations General
Assembly session held on February 23, when dealing with the situation in Ukraine, making theposition of our country clear at the international level and without ambiguity.
Recently, a group of countries from the Organization of American States approved a declaration to
the same effect. Uruguay, having already made strong public statements regarding the invasion of
Ukrainian territory and condemning such actions, like other countries, made its own statement on
the subject, coinciding with the position adopted by the Uruguayan Foreign Ministry and thePresident of the Republic, condemning the Russian military intervention.
2. What provisions/measures/sanctions, if any, have sports organisations (National
Olympic Committee and national sports federations) taken in your country in
response?
The Uruguayan Soccer Association has complied with the “Transitional Rules that address the
exceptional situation arising from the war in Ukraine”.
3. Are there any precedents, for how sports organisations (National Olympic Committee
and national sports federations) in your country have reacted in the past to a similar
situation?
No.
4. What has been the reaction of clubs/federations, national Olympic Committees
towards Russian sponsors (if any)?
The Russian Federations have little impact on the Uruguayan federations and clubs, which is why
they have not taken any action in this regard at the moment.

305

Sport lawyer in Uruguay, https://www.vasquezabogados.com.uy
210

5. Are you aware of any contractual/economic/social/political consequences on nationalsof your country playing in Russia? And viceversa, are there any consequences on
Russian athletes playing in your country?
Yes.
Some clients of our law firm, professional football players who are in Russia, have consulted usregarding their contractual situation, and the payment of their salaries or bonuses. Most of theplayers have agreed with the Russian clubs to keep their contracts in force.

6. Is there any other relevant issue you would like to report?
No.

211

ANNEXInternational Sports Federations and measures against Russia and Belarus

SPORT/
INTERNATIONA
L FEDERATIONARCHERY –WORLD ARCHERY
ATHLETICS –WORLD
ATHLETICS
BASEBALL AND
SOFTBALL –WBSC
BASKETBALL –FIBA
BIATHLON – IBU
CANOEING – ICF
CHESS – FIDECURLING – WFC
CYCLING – UCI
FOOTBALL – FIFA
– UEFAFORMULA 1 – FIA
GYMNASTICS –FIG
HOCKEY – FIH
ICE HOCKEY –IIHFJUDO – IJF
LUGE – ILF
PENTATHLON –UIPM
ROWING –WORLD ROWINGRUGBY – WORLDRUGBY
SKATING - ISU
SAILING – WORLDSAILING

National
Federation

National
Teams

Clubs

Athletes

Officials

Hosting
eventsFlag
sAnthems

BannedBannedBannedBannedNo

No

No

BannedBannedNo

BannedBannedAlreadysuspended
BannedBannedBannedBannedSuspendedNeutrals
Bannedneutrals

BannedBannedSuspendedSuspendedNeutrals
BannedSuspende
d

No

No

No
No
No
No

No

No

No
No

No
No

No
No

No
No

No
No

Yes

Yes

Yes
Yes

BannedSuspendedSuspende
d

Yes

No

Suspended

SURFING – ISA
Neutrals

Neutrals

Suspended

No

No

BannedSuspended or, ifnecessary,“neutrals”
SuspendedSuspended

Yes

BannedSKIING – FIS

SWIMMING – FINATAEKWONDO –WORLDTAEKWONDOTENNIS TABLE –ITTF – ETTFTENNIS – ITF
TRIATHLON –WORLD
TRIATHLON
VOLLEYBALL –FIVB

BannedSuspendedNeutrals
BannedSuspendedSuspendedSuspended

BannedSuspende
d

Appea
l to
CAS

Yes

BannedSuspended

BannedSuspendedBannedFundSuspendedBannedSuspende
d

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Yes

No

No

No
SuspendedNo

Neutrals
BannedBannedNo

No

No

BannedBannedNo

No

No

Neutrals
BannedBannedBannedNo

Suspende
d

Yes

No

212