On July 3, 2019, the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Group of experts on ensuring effective access of athletes to justice and fair trial (T-DO HR) was held in Strasbourg (France).
The group consists of representatives from international sports organizations, the European Court of Human Rights, WADA, EU athletes, WADA Athletes Committee, WADA, as well as governments of the Council of Europe member States.
The Russian Federation is represented by RUSADA Deputy Director General Margarita Pakhnotskaya, who is the Chair of the Ad Hoc Group of experts on Whistleblower protection in anti-doping (T-DO WbP).
At the first meeting, the experts analyzed the results of the work carried out by the previous ad hoc group, and also discussed general human rights-based principles of sport justice that should apply in the context of the fight against doping at sport at domestic and international levels.
Afterwords, the group will develop recommendations and provisions setting up the standards designed to ensure the independence of the hearing bodies dealing with anti-doping rule violations and access to fair trial.