New scandal from the Russian World Championship decision – two referees visited Moscow, lawyer resigned

The return of Russia to the ice hockey World Championships is causing even more turmoil surrounding the controversial decision. Swiss media Inside Paradeplatz has now published new information about the arbitrators of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

According to a Swiss source, two out of three arbitrators who made a favorable ruling for Russia visited Moscow before the decision.

CAS overturned the international competition bans on Russian ice hockey teams on October 30. The decision was unanimous.

Now, the previous connections of the decision-makers to Russia have raised questions about the independence of the court.

According to Thomas Renggli from Inside Paradeplatz, the chairman of the arbitration panel, Italian Giulio Palermo, appeared at a conference on arbitration procedures held in Moscow on September 22.

Palermo stayed at The Carlton luxury hotel during his visit. CAS appointed him as the chairman of the panel dealing with the Russia case on October 9.

Palermo’s visit to Moscow was already reported on Sunday. However, a new detail emerged on Monday.

The panel’s Egyptian member Ismail Selim also appeared at a legal conference held in Moscow. Selim’s visit took place on May 16, 2025. He stayed at the Four Seasons hotel.

The conference was organized by a Russian law firm and an organization specializing in international arbitration based in Cairo.

A surprising departure from CAS

According to Swiss media, an exceptional turn has also occurred within CAS as a result of the scandal. A well-known Zurich lawyer and CAS arbitrator has announced his resignation from his position.

The lawyer has previously been a member of the legal committee of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). According to Inside Paradeplatz, his decision is related to Palermo’s potential conflict of interest and the doubts raised about the neutrality of the arbitration panel.

The lawyer’s name has not been disclosed to the public.

CAS, on the other hand, denies the allegations of internal turmoil within its organization. The court has also strongly criticized the reporting of the Swiss media and deemed it misleading.

Palermo denies the suspicions

Palermo has previously stated that he traveled to Moscow at his own expense. According to him, there was no connection between the conference trip and the subsequent proceedings regarding Russia’s return to ice hockey.

CAS has confirmed that it was unaware of Palermo’s trip before his appointment as the panel’s chairman.

According to the court, the parties involved in the proceedings had the opportunity to question Palermo’s independence after his appointment, but neither party took this opportunity.

CAS has also defended its own decision. It stated that IIHF did not provide sufficient evidence for the legal grounds of continuing Russia’s competition ban.

The visits to Moscow themselves do not yet prove the bias of the arbitrators or the impropriety of the decision. However, the recent disclosures by Swiss media raise the controversy surrounding Russia’s return to the World Championships to even more critical headlines.

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