Federations say proposed rule would infringe human rights'

The FEI is proposing a new rule that would allow it to demand information

- ELEANOR JONES

AN FEI proposal to demand information or articles relating to anti-doping investigations is a “violation of human rights” and goes too far, it is claimed.

In the final draft of rule changes published by the FEI is a proposal that would allow the federation at any point to “make a written demand to an applicable person to provide the FEI and/or the integrity unit with any information, record, article or thing in their possession or control that the FEI reasonably believes may evidence or lead to the discovery of evidence of a nondoping violation”.

The applicable person would have to provide the record or information “immediately, where practical to do so, or within such other time as may be set”, and would “waive and forfeit any rights, defences and privileges provided by any law in any jurisdiction to withhold [anything] requested”.

Failure to comply, or attempts to damage, alter or destroy the information, would be a breach of FEI rules.

As is the case with all proposed rule changes, this was sent to national federations and stakeholders for comment.

The Belgian equestrian federation said: “‘Request access to any information or record (such as personal devices)’. This goes too far. We oppose. This is a violation of human rights.”