Russia will punish individuals found guilty of doping under the country’s criminal code, said a Russian sports official at a meeting of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) on Saturday.
Russia to punish individuals found guilty of doping
He added that Russian authorities are working as a team to clean up sports.
“Our president is initiating a few new legal initiatives which would make the punishment for the illegal use of doping in Russian sports very, very serious. It is considered now as a criminal violation,” said Victor Khotochkin, Russian member of the European Olympics Committees.
Russia was suspended from international athletics last year after an investigation uncovered damning evidence of widespread doping and corruption.
The EOC is meeting in the Belarussian capital Minsk for a general assembly ahead of the European Games set for 2019.
Belarus has announced it will host the second edition of the continent’s multi-sports event.
The inaugural European Games were staged in Baku, Azerbaijan, last year at a cost of several billion dollars.
Reuters