The State Duma allowed the athletes to use doping "for therapeutic purposes"

The use of a doping athlete will not be considered a violation if he has permission to therapeutic use of such a drug. This is stated in the government amendment adopted by the State Duma, Interfax reports .

This situation also applies to the possession of "prohibited substances and prohibited methods." The permit for therapeutic use also exempts from liability coaches, doctors and other persons who applied doping against the athlete.

The amendment was adopted when considering in the second reading of the government bill governing the sport of higher achievements and professional sports, "in accordance with the international standard for the therapeutic use of the World Anti -Doping Agency."

On October 11, President Vladimir Putin at the Russia -Sports Power International Sports Forum stated that the international community should solve the problem of admission to the competitions of athletes taking prohibited drugs for medical reasons . "We see how many permits for the so -called medical indicators are received by certain athletes. Probably, this is so, I will not give this assessment now. But we need to understand what to do with this, otherwise we can encounter the fact that in the near future all records and victories will only be behind people who suffer, say, chronic diseases," Putin said.

“It is clear that these athletes should be protected, but we must all understand what to do with this,” the president noted. “Maybe they can be distinguished in a special category, to consider their merits, glasses, seconds and achievements in a special way.”

On November 3, the State Duma adopted a law on the introduction of criminal punishment for the use of doping in sports. The list of prohibited drugs will be approved by the government. In accordance with the amendments to the Criminal Code for the inclination of the athlete to doping, the coaches will be punished with a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles or restriction of freedom for one year. For doping doctors, there is a fine of up to 1 million rubles or a year of imprisonment. At the same time, liability occurs regardless of whether the athlete gave his consent to the use of prohibited drugs.

As an additional punishment, trainers can prohibit professional activities for up to three years, doctors up to four. In cases where the use of doping entailed death by negligence or other grave consequences, the term of imprisonment will be up to three years. The perpetrators can also be excluded from the profession by five years.

In the bill, introduced by deputies Ildar Gilmutdinov, Dmitry Svishchev and Marat Bariev, after the first reading, amendments proposed by the government were introduced. They somewhat soften the punishment.