Dmitry Svishchev says the RPC should not pay the IPC membership fee ©Getty Images

President of the Russian Curling Federation Dmitry Svishchev believes that the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) should not have to pay membership fees to the International Paralympic Committee after being suspended.

Earlier this month, the RPC and the Paralympic Committee of Belarus (PCB) were suspended during the IPC Extraordinary General Assembly.

Despite this, the pair have still been ordered to pay their dues for 2023.

"The International Paralympic Committee first deprives the Russian Paralympic Committee of all rights, and then demands the payment of fees," said Svishchev, who is also a Deputy of the State Duma, as reported by Russian state-run news agency TASS.

"We have already seen this in athletics, where the All-Russian Athletics Federation paid the International Federation over and over again, but was never right.

"It seems that international sports organisations thus find themselves a passive income.

"I think that the RPC should not pay a membership fee in the presence of suspension status.

"What to pay for?

"For the fact that athletes are not allowed to perform, and functionaries are not allowed to vote?

Dmitry Svishchev feels the money used for the IPC membership fee would be better invested into the development of Para sport in Russia ©Russian Curling Federation
Dmitry Svishchev feels the money used for the IPC membership fee would be better invested into the development of Para sport in Russia ©Russian Curling Federation

"In fact, this is turning into a real feeder for international sports organisations, it's time to end this practice.

"It is better to invest this money in the development of Paralympic sports within the country than just give them away."

According to Article 17.1 of the IPC constitution, a suspended IPC member automatically loses all rights and privileges of a member, but must continue to observe the obligations of one.

This includes payment of IPC membership fees.

"The IPC Member will lose the right to vote at General Assembly meetings; to enter its athletes in the Paralympic Games; and to participate in IPC activities," the IPC's constitution reads.

"Any suspended IPC Member may not have any sporting contact with other IPC Members."

At the IPC Extraordinary General Assembly, the RPC was suspended by a margin of 64 votes to 39, with 16 abstentions, while the PCB was suspended by a narrower margin of 54 to 45, with 18 abstentions.