Russian Doping and Fraud to Be Probed at Helsinki Commission Briefing

WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following briefing:

THE RUSSIAN DOPING SCANDAL: PROTECTING WHISTLEBLOWERS AND COMBATING FRAUD IN SPORTS

Thursday, February 22, 2018 3:30 p.m. Capitol Visitor Center Room SVC 203

Live Webcast: www.facebook.com/HelsinkiCommission

In 2016, Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov blew the whistle on Russia's state-run doping program, revealing a deep web of deception and fraud that he had once helped facilitate. This revelation led to the total ban of Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics and intensified the debate over corruption in sports. After fleeing Russia for fear of retaliation, Dr. Rodchenkov now lives a precarious life in the United States, relying on whistleblower protections and fearful that Russian agents may one day come knocking. This briefing features Dr. Rodchenkov's attorney, Jim Walden, for a conversation on combating fraud in sports and the role of whistleblowers in safeguarding the integrity of international competitions. It will also include a discussion of the Oscar-nominated documentary Icarus, which chronicles Dr. Rodchenkov's journey from complicit head of Russia's anti-doping laboratory to courageous whistleblower.