Two arbitrators who allowed Russia to return to hockey visited Moscow: IIHF filed an objection

The dispute over the return of Russian hockey teams to the international arena has taken a new turn. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has submitted an objection to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against two of the three arbitrators involved in the decision in favor of Russia. This was reported by LETA, citing journalist Gord Miller from the Canadian channel TSN. According to him, the IIHF believes that two members of the arbitration panel did not disclose their connections to Russia. ### Why questions arose about the arbitrators The issue concerns Italian Giulio Palermo, who headed the CAS panel, and Egyptian arbitrator Ismail Selim. Palermo visited Moscow this autumn, where he spoke at a conference on arbitration and participated in a discussion. Selim visited the Russian capital in 2025. The third member of the panel was British arbitrator Mark Howell. According to media reports, the IIHF's objections do not concern him. The federation raises the question of whether Palermo and Selim should have disclosed their connections to Russia before the case was considered. However, the trips to Moscow alone do not prove bias on the part of the arbitrators. ### What CAS decided and why it matters for Latvia On October 30, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the IIHF must immediately allow Russian teams to participate in its international competitions. The decision applies to five world championships in the 2026/2027 season, including the senior men's tournament, the under-20 youth championship, junior competitions, and women's championships. The Latvian national team also competes in the top division of the men's world championship. Therefore, the issue of Russia's return concerns not only the Russian team but also other tournament participants, including Latvian hockey players. The IIHF had previously stated that the immediate return of Russian teams would create serious organizational difficulties. Among them are issues of security, obtaining visas, logistics, and possible changes to the competition format. ### What will happen to the Russian teams Russian hockey teams have been suspended from IIHF tournaments since February 2022, following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, they have missed five consecutive world championships and the 2026 Winter Olympics. The October CAS decision opened the possibility for their return; however, the new dispute regarding the composition of the arbitration panel has added uncertainty. As of November 14, there have been no reports of the CAS decision being overturned. The objection against the arbitrators does not automatically mean the reinstatement of the ban on the participation of Russian teams. The further development of the case will depend on the consideration of the IIHF's claims and the decisions of competent judicial authorities.