CAS Confirms Ethics Violations Committed by Luciano Rossi but Reduces his Suspension

Lausanne, 7 September 2018 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the

arbitration procedure between Luciano Rossi and the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).

The appeal of Luciano Rossi has been partially upheld. As a consequence, the decision rendered by

the ISSF Ethics Committee on 28 April 2018 is amended and the suspension imposed on Mr Rossi

from taking part in any shooting-related activities (administrative, sports and other) is reduced from

36 months to a period of 20 weeks. Furthermore, the fine is increased from CHF 30’000 to CHF

50’000.

Mr Rossi was initially sanctioned by ISSF due to various infractions to the ISSF Code of Ethics in

relation to his personal behaviour and conflict of interest affecting the management of the sport of

shooting.

On 1 June 2018, Mr Rossi filed an appeal at the CAS in which he requested that the ISSF decision be

annulled and that no sanction be imposed on him. The arbitration procedure was conducted by a Panel

of CAS arbitrators, composed of Mr Murray Rosen QC, President (United Kingdom), Mr Luigi

Fumagalli (Italy) and Mr Michele A. R. Bernasconi (Switzerland). The Panel heard the parties at a

hearing which took place at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland on 29 August 2018.

The CAS Panel confirmed the existence of serious violations by Mr Rossi of some rules of the ISSF

Code of ethics but noted that the sanctions imposed on him were not appropriate in the light of the

breaches committed, which are mainly connected to business issues (non-disclosure of conflict of

interest in relation to private business in shooting, spreading of misinformation and disloyalty towards

the ISSF). As a consequence, the CAS Panel reduced the 3-year ban, which was clearly

disproportionate, to 20 weeks (ending on 13 September 2018), and increased the fine from CHF 30’000

to CHF 50’000.

As a consequence, the CAS Panel determined that the decision rendered by the ISSF Ethics Committee

dated 28 April 2018 should be modified as follows:

1. Mr Rossi is held responsible for serious breaches of Article 2.2.1 (Conflict of Interest) and

Article 2.1.3 (Loyalty) of the Code of Ethics of the International Shooting Sport Federation;

2. Mr Rossi is banned from taking part in any shooting-related activities (administrative, sports

and other) for a period of twenty (20) weeks as from 27 April 2018;

3. Mr Rossi is suspended from his office of Vice-President of the International Shooting Sport

Federation for a period of twenty (20) weeks as from 27 April 2018;

4. Mr Rossi is subjected to a fine in the total amount of EUR 50’000.

The full award with grounds will be communicated to the parties in due course and then published on

the CAS website, unless the parties request that it is kept confidential.

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