MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will review the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC)’s appeal against the temporary suspension imposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last October.

The Swiss-based court will hear the case in a video conference format.

"I’m quite skeptical in my expectations," ROC head Stanislav Pozdnyakov said, commenting on the upcoming hearing. "Any court of arbitration is based on trust, but there is none in this case. I presume, the verdict will be swift, and it will expose the bias. All problems in relations between the ROC and the IOC are rooted in geopolitics and pressure."

On October 12, 2023, the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) until further notice after the Russian organization included the Olympic councils of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions as its members. The suspension means that the ROC cannot act as a national Olympic committee or receive financing from the Olympic movement. According to the IOC statement, the suspension will remain in force until further notice.

The IOC however reserved the right to clear Russian athletes to take part in the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 as neutrals. As of late December, six Russian athletes and five Belarusians have qualified for the upcoming Games.