Former Russian Athletics Federation president Dmitry Shlyakhtin and four other officials have been banned for serious breaches of anti-doping rules.
Shlyakhtin, RusAF executive director Alexander Parkin, board member Artur Karamyan, senior administrator Elena Orlova and anti-doping coordinator Elena Ikonnikova each received four-year suspensions after a disciplinary tribunal upheld all charges laid by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
The sanctions relate to the submission of forged documents and false explanations to the AIU and their conduct during a 15-month investigation into a 'whereabouts' case against Russian high jumper Danil Lysenko.
The five officials were found guilty of tampering, complicity, failing to report an anti-doping violation, and failing to co-operate with the AIU investigation, which concluded the case had involved the invention of a fake medical clinic and false claims about a car crash.
Lysenko and his coach Evgeniy Zagorulko were also charged, with the outcome of their cases still ongoing.
The four-year bans for Orlova and Ikonnikova will be served concurrently with existing sanctions of six and eight years respectively, which were previously announced for cases of failure to comply with an investigation demand by the AIU.
AIU chairman David Howman said in a statement: "Our work in uncovering the conspiracy and fraudulent behaviour in this case demonstrates that the AIU is fulfilling its role to make cheats accountable, irrespective of their stature or standing."
