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ECHR Opens Case Against Switzerland Over Alex Schwazer’s Sports Arbitration

The Strasbourg court will assess if Switzerland denied the racewalker an effective judicial remedy.

Overview

  • The proceeding was formally opened by the European Court of Human Rights on August 21 and reported publicly on September 12.
  • It stems from Schwazer’s 2022 application after Swiss courts declined to allow a revision of the CAS ruling despite a 2021 Bolzano judge archiving the criminal case for “not having committed the act.”
  • The case targets Switzerland as the host state of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne and focuses on access to justice rather than re‑trying the doping allegations.
  • WADA, World Athletics and CAS have maintained the sporting sanctions, and CAS earlier rejected a request to suspend the ban, preventing a Paris 2024 return.
  • Schwazer and his lawyer said they will pursue the Strasbourg process to the end, with the defense continuing to cite alleged procedural anomalies in the 2016 testing.