International Responsibility of States and Victims of State-Sponsored Doping

Abstract

The Russian State-sponsored doping scandal shocked the world of sports, yet from the international law perspective raises issues concerning the international responsibility of States. Whether States can administer such programs with little cost or should be responsible for their wrongful acts is the subject of this research. This article discusses how the international law of State responsibility applies to the case of State-sponsored doping and analyzes how countries who are involved in systematic doping programs are responsible under international law principles. The article concludes that individual athletes are the victims of this international wrongful act and therefore should be compensated for both material and moral damages.

Keywords: international law, athletes, state-sponsored doping, athlete's human rights, material damage, doping victims, moral damage, international state responsibility, Russia doping case, UNESCO convention, WADA