Russian Embassy Asks Italy To Explain Raid On Biathletes' Rooms

The Russian Embassy in Rome demanded Saturday that Italian authorities explain a police raid on hotel rooms of Russian biathletes in the city of Rasen-Antholz

ROME (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd February, 2020) The Russian Embassy in Rome demanded Saturday that Italian authorities explain a police raid on hotel rooms of Russian biathletes in the city of Rasen-Antholz.

Alexei Nuzhdov, the first deputy president of the Russian Biathlon Union, has told Sputnik that Italian police were searching rooms and confiscating laptops of two Russian athletes and a coach who came to Italy for the World Championships.

"The Russian Embassy in Italy has contacted the Italian Foreign Ministry and the office of the president of the Italian Council of Ministers.

We demanded an explanation," the diplomatic mission said in a statement.

Vladimir Drachev, the president of the Russian Biathlon Union, told Sputnik that the International Biathlon Union appeared to suspect coach Alexander Kasperovich of having smuggled doping to the tournament under another person's accreditation and to link the case to earlier doping rules violations by biathlete Alexander Loginov.