Russia's State Duma has passed a new law which makes inducement to doping a criminal offense.
The legislation was introduced by deputies Dmitry Svishchev from the LDPR party and Marat Bariev and Ildar Gilmutdinov from United Russia. The bill was passed in its third reading on Thursday after a number of amendments.
Coaches, specialists in sport medicine, and specialists in physical fitness who induce athletes to use performance enhancing drugs can now face fines of up to 300,000 rubles ($4,700), disqualification from their position for up to three years, and probation up to one year. The sentences are more severe if the defendant was part of a premeditated conspiracy with others, if they attempted to get more than one athlete or an athlete who is a minor to engage in doping, or if they used threats or violence to coerce an athlete into doping. The most severe punishment is reserved for cases in which an athlete dies as a result of doping.
Use of prohibited substances by an athlete without his or her consent or knowledge is punishable by a fine of up to 1 million rubles, disqualification for up to four years, and probation for two years.
