Spanish Court Orders Release of Operation Puerto Blood Bags

(ATR) A ruling by a Spanish appeals court today could lead to revelations of doping by a number of athletes from multiple sports.

The Madrid Court of Appeal overturned a 2013 ruling by the Criminal Court of Madrid that had ordered the destruction of the 211 blood and plasma bags seized from the offices of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes as part of Operation Puerto in 2006.

The Spanish police investigation had resulted in a one-year suspended sentence for Fuentes and anti-doping rule violations for five cyclists. But claims by Fuentes during a 2013 trial that he worked with other unnamed athletes from other sports has led to speculation of a much wider scandal.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), who had appealed the decision to destroy the bags, said it was pleased with the reversal though WADA Director General David Howman said "We are dismayed that it took so long to receive the decision".

Howman added in a statement "we will now partner with the other parties that have been granted access [to the blood bags], to determine our legal options vis-à-vis analyzing the blood and plasma bags".

Those other parties are reported to be the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC), the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI).

What remains unanswered by WADA is whether any athletes found guilty will be able to be prosecuted. WADA’s statute of limitations on doping offenses, which was extended from eight years to 10 years in 2015, would be expired in this case.

As for Fuentes, the charges against him were dropped by the appeals court, which said the blood samples were not medications and thus he couldn’t be guilty of endangering public health.

Written by Gerard Farek

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