---
title: "CAS Scandal: Swiss Media Reveals Moscow Trips by Two Arbitrators Who Returned Russia to World Hockey"
description: "Swiss publication Inside Paradeplatz reported that two of the three CAS arbitrators who returned Russia to world hockey previously attended legal conferences in Moscow. CAS labeled the reports misleading, while one of the court's lawyers announced his resignation."
date: 2026-11-10T12:08:04.848Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/scandal-cas-arbitrators-moscow-russia-hockey-return
tags: [cas, iihf, russian-hockey, sport-arbitration, switzerland, hockey]
author: "Andrey Kosynko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# CAS Scandal: Swiss Media Reveals Moscow Trips by Two Arbitrators Who Returned Russia to World Hockey

![Giulio Palermo speaking at a conference with a microphone in a meeting room](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/10/skandal-arbitry-cas-moskva-vozvraschenie-rossii-hokkey/skandal-arbitry-cas-moskva-vozvraschenie-rossii-hokkey-1.webp)

## Key Points

- On October 30, 2026, CAS ordered the IIHF to allow Russian hockey teams to international tournaments
- Inside Paradeplatz reports Palermo was in Moscow on September 22, 2026, and was only appointed panel chair on October 9
- Egyptian arbitrator Selim visited Moscow on May 16, 2025, for a legal conference
- CAS called the Swiss media reports misleading and denied internal problems
- A CAS lawyer, who was on the IIHF legal committee, announced his resignation

The decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne on October 30, 2026, which ordered the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia to be allowed back into international competition, has triggered a new wave of controversy. The Swiss publication Inside Paradeplatz published a report claiming that two of the three arbitrators who supported the Russian appeal had previously attended legal conferences in Moscow. The publication has caused a sharp reaction both within CAS and throughout the international hockey community.

### Arbitrators' trips to Moscow: details from the Swiss investigation

According to Inside Paradeplatz, the chairman of the arbitration panel for the Russian national teams' return case, Italian lawyer Giulio Palermo, attended a conference on arbitration procedures in Moscow on September 22, 2026. During the visit, he stayed at The Carlton hotel. Notably, Palermo's appointment as head of the panel reviewing the Russian appeal did not occur until October 9, 2026—three weeks after his stay in the Russian capital. The second subject of the report, Egyptian arbitrator Ismail Selim, according to Swiss journalists, visited a legal conference in Moscow on May 16, 2025, organized by a Russian law firm in collaboration with a Cairo-based organization working in the field of international arbitration. During the trip, Selim stayed at the Four Seasons hotel.

### Resignation of a Zurich lawyer and "internal turmoil" at CAS

As reported by Inside Paradeplatz, the resonance surrounding the arbitrators' trips has led to personnel consequences within the court itself. A well-known Zurich-based lawyer, who previously served as a CAS arbitrator and was a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) legal committee, has announced his resignation. His name was not disclosed in the report. According to Swiss journalists, the decision to step down is linked to a potential conflict of interest involving Palermo and doubts regarding the impartiality of the arbitration panel that issued the decision on the Russian appeal.

### CAS response and Palermo's statement

The Court of Arbitration for Sport categorically rejected reports of "internal turmoil" within the organization and criticized the Swiss media reports, calling them misleading. CAS confirmed that prior to Palermo's appointment as chair of the panel, it was unaware of his trip to Moscow. The court also noted that parties to the proceedings had the opportunity to challenge the arbitrator's independence after his appointment, but did not exercise this right. Giulio Palermo himself previously stated that he visited Moscow at his own expense and that his participation in the conference was unrelated to the subsequent consideration of the case regarding the return of the Russian teams. CAS also defended the ruling on the appeal, explaining that the IIHF had failed to provide sufficient evidence that would legally justify the continued suspension of Russian teams from international tournaments.

### Context: what exactly did CAS permit?

It is worth noting that on October 30, 2026, CAS, via a unanimous decision by a panel consisting of Giulio Palermo, Ismail Selim, and British arbitrator Mark Hovell, upheld the appeal of the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia and ordered the IIHF to admit Russian teams to international competitions. The ruling covers, among others, the World Junior Championship, U18 women's and men's tournaments, and adult World Championships. The election of the new IIHF President—German Franz Reindl, who won on October 2 at the congress in Tenerife—is unfolding against the backdrop of this legal dispute, adding extra political heat to the situation in international hockey.

## Accounts differ

### Impartiality breach by arbitrators and internal CAS problems

- **Inside Paradeplatz (Switzerland):** The two arbitrators' trips to Moscow create an impression of a conflict of interest; one CAS lawyer who sat on the IIHF legal committee announced his resignation over doubts regarding the panel's impartiality ([sport.rbc.ua](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/skandal-cherez-povernennya-rosiyi-svitoviy-1794311845.html))
- **CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne):** The Swiss media publications are misleading; there is no internal turmoil in the organization; parties had the opportunity to challenge the arbitrator's independence after appointment but did not use this right; IIHF provided insufficient evidence for continued suspension ([sport.rbc.ua](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/skandal-cherez-povernennya-rosiyi-svitoviy-1794311845.html))
- **Giulio Palermo:** The trip to Moscow was self-funded and was not related to the subsequent consideration of the case regarding the return of Russian teams ([sport.rbc.ua](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/skandal-cherez-povernennya-rosiyi-svitoviy-1794311845.html))

*Where they agree:* Palermo and Selim's trips to Moscow took place; CAS did not know about Palermo's trip before his appointment as panel chair

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Скандал из-за возвращения России в мировой хоккей: двое арбитров CAS ездили в Москву](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/skandal-cherez-povernennya-rosiyi-svitoviy-1794311845.html) - Primary source. Contains all key facts: dates of trips, hotels, panel composition, CAS response, Palermo's statement, lawyer's resignation.
- [Вокруг возвращения России в мировой хоккей вспыхнул новый скандал: Москву заподозрили в ...](https://www.obozrevatel.com/section-sport-oboz/news-navkolo-povernennya-rosiyi-u-svitovyy-khokey-spalakhnuv-novyy-skandal-moskvu-zapidozryly-u-pidkupi-suddiv-10-11-2026.html) - Confirms the general context of the scandal surrounding the CAS ruling against the IIHF.
- [В Европе раскрыли план против возвращения России в мировой хоккей](https://www.sports.kz/news/vevrope-raskryili-plan-protiv-vozvrascheniya-rossii-vmirovoy-hokkey) - Provides context for the IIHF presidential election (October 2, Tenerife, Reindl's victory), which is mentioned in the article.
- [Борис Михайлов озвучил условие нескорого возвращения России в мировой хоккей](https://www.sports.kz/news/boris-mihaylov-ozvuchil-uslovie-neskorogo-vozvrascheniya-rossii-v-mirovoy-hokkey) - Даёт контекст выборов президента IIHF (2 октября, Тенерифе, победа Райндля), что упоминается в статье.

## FAQ

### What exactly did CAS decide on October 30, 2026?

CAS upheld the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia's appeal and ordered the IIHF to allow Russian teams to compete in international competitions, including the World Junior Championship, U18 tournaments, and adult World Championships. The decision was made unanimously by a panel of three arbitrators.

### What is the essence of the accusations against the arbitrators?

Swiss publication Inside Paradeplatz reports that panel chair Giulio Palermo was in Moscow at a legal conference on September 22, 2026, three weeks before his appointment to the case, and Egyptian arbitrator Ismail Selim visited Moscow on May 16, 2025. The publication interprets this as a possible conflict of interest.

### How did CAS react to the publications?

CAS called the Swiss media reports misleading, denied internal turmoil in the organization, confirmed it did not know about Palermo's trip before his appointment, and pointed out that the parties had the opportunity to challenge the arbitrator's independence but did not do so.

### Who is Giulio Palermo and what is his stance?

Giulio Palermo is an Italian lawyer appointed on October 9, 2026, as head of the arbitration panel for the return of the Russian hockey teams. He stated that he visited Moscow at his own expense and that his conference participation was unrelated to the case consideration.