Lukashenka Instructed To Make Use Of Doping Criminal Offence

Athletes will be deprived of state awards, and federations – of state support for violating anti-doping rules.

Such measures are contained in Decree No. 201 "On Countering Doping In Sport", which was signed by Aliaksandr Lukashenka on May 24.

It was reported by the ruler’s press service.

Now, in case of disqualification of an athlete or his personnel for doping, they will be prohibited from engaging in pedagogical activity in the field of physical culture and sports. They will also be obliged to reimburse the amount of incentive payments, the deprivation of state awards, to which they were presented for the relevant sports results, is stipulated.

For systematic gross violation of the anti-doping rules, the federations (unions, associations) may be denied the right to receive state support, have tax reductions and exemptions, get foreign gratuitous assistance. They also may be excluded from the list of federations for a period of up to two years.

With regard to national and combined teams, such measures are envisaged as the reduction of their number and funding.

The government is instructed to work out the issue of establishing criminal liability for the use of prohibited substances and methods, as well as for inducing athletes to violate anti-doping rules.

Earlier, Lukashenka repeatedly stated that violators would be subjected to the most severe measures.