MOSCOW, January 7. / Correspondent. Artem Kuznetsov TASS /. The Ethics Commission of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) decided to disqualify the life of former President of All-Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) Valentine Balahnicheva. The disgraced functionary confident that the verdict politically engaged and intended to discredit the entire Russian sports.
Russian athletics under attack
The verdict of the Ethics Commission IAAF in the case Balahnicheva and three functionaries took 170 pages. In addition to the former head of VFLA also barred for life a former coach of Russian national athletics on a group of endurance Alexey Melnikov and former marketing consultant organization Massata Papa Diack, who is the son of the former head of the IAAF, Lamine Diack. Another person involved in the case – former head of the IAAF Anti-Doping Department Gabriel Dolle – “escaped” the five-year disqualification.
Balahnichev VFLA headed since 1991. He voluntarily resigned in February 2015 because of a series of high-profile doping scandals involving Russian athletes. Getting them was initiated in December 2014, when was published the film of German broadcaster ARD, whose name can be translated as “secret deal” doping. “It was reported that the Russian athletes systematically took banned drugs at the direction of their coaches.
Moreover, in one of the parts of the film were told about the history of the Russian track and field athletes, the winner of a number of major international marathons Lilia Shobukhova, who was disqualified in 2013 for violating anti-doping rules. Ethics Commission IAAF recognized Balahnicheva guilty of violating a number of points of the code of ethics organizations in connection with the concealment of their information on the case of athletes.
Case Shobukhova
In particular, former President VFLA accused that he agreed with Melnikov, Pope Masato Diack and other officials decided to bring athlete to disciplinary action if Shobukhova pay for their silence. He also said in the IAAF, which transferred money Shobukhova Melnikov for continuing to compete. He also failed to take action to prevent Shobukhova to participate in the Olympics in London and Chicago Marathon 2012.
The committee IAAF Ethics believes that then Balahnichev tried to buy the silence Shobukhova and her husband Igor by transferring them to 300 thousand euros in March 2014.
These violations have become the main reason for the lifetime ban functionaries.
Over the past few months, the passions of the Russian athletics reached exorbitant degrees.
Independent Commission World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) November 9, 2015 published the results of the investigation of VFLA, Moscow anti-doping laboratory, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and the Ministry of Sports of Russia. As a result, on November 13th IAAF Council overwhelmingly decided to temporarily suspend the membership of the Russian Federation. VFLA who temporarily headed by Vadim Zelichenok awaits reform. This process will be assessed by independent inspection commission IAAF, her first visit to Russia scheduled for January 10-11.
“Roll forward” is not just on me “
Balahnichev in an interview with Tass suggested that he has been targeted in a political game, whose ultimate goal is to put pressure on the entire Russian sports. “In this situation,” roll forward “is not just me. I just elected to a specific purpose and the main task – to discredit the entire Russian sports “, – says the former head of VFLA.
” The fact of the publication of this document to the most important religious holiday for Russians telling. It looks like an obvious politicized decision. Some forces decided to increase the pressure on the Russian sport, taking a very radical solution “, – he said.
Balahnichev argues that the charges against him by the IAAF for the most part false and contradictory.” Often, they were represented in as the decisions that were made on the basis of analytical thinking, rather than the true facts, “- said the functionary.
Former President VFLA admits he would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne (CAS) and will fight for his good name. “I left the track and field, so in this situation it is not about the fight for the workplace, and the struggle for its own name. I have 21 days then to think about this decision (in accordance with the Code of the IAAF. – Approx. Tass) “, – he said.
The decision of the Ethics Commission – a jumble of assumptions
Artem Patsev lawyer Balahnicheva, believes that the decision of the commission on ethics IAAF against his client is not based on the real facts of violations, and on assumptions.
“The Commission relies on the presumption of innocence, that is to be installed unequivocal facts which indicate about these or other violations. Not a single fact in this decision, as well as at the meeting of the Ethics Committee, was not given. This jumble of assumptions, “- said in an interview with Tass Patsev.
” This way you can prove anything. So it’s hard to even call me a legal decision, it is more a manifesto of desperation on the part of the current legal IAAF. And the fact that this decision is politicized, even doubt is not necessary “, – he said.
The lawyer also clarified the details of the decision of the commission on ethics. Paragraph disqualification came out with the phrase” should be banned for life “(should be disqualified for life). “This – not recommended. The decision enters into force today, and can be appealed to the Sports Arbitration Court in Lausanne “, – he said.
The lawyer gave an interesting analogy. According to him, to punish Balahnicheva IAAF adopted the same scheme as the The International Football Federation (FIFA) – the former head of the organization Joseph Blatter and the President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Michel Platini.
“When the IAAF failed to find evidence of possible misconduct of Balahnicheva and other defendants in the case, It referred the case ethics commission – said Patsev. – As Affaires Joseph Blatter and Michel Platini. When to adjudicate on the legal plane is not enough real and obvious evidence, the case is transmitted like the Commission “.
Now Balahnichev within 21 days may challenge his disqualification in the CAS. However Patsev noted that in the current political situation even this body, is famous for its independence, can give up the slack. Not least because of the fact that the head of the Ethics Committee IAAF Michael Beloff is one of the oldest referees CAS and has great credibility in the world of sport.
“In Therefore, I have serious doubts that even the most independent person in the world will now be challenged in favor of the Russian decision taken by Beloff, “- said the lawyer.
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