The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) says it has provisionally suspended the status of the national anti-doping laboratory in Moscow as Russia's doping scandal continues.
The suspension prohibits the Moscow laboratory from carrying out "any work" related to the analysis of blood samples in connection with athlete biological passports (ABP), the Montreal-based organization said in a statement on January 22.
It said the measure will remain in place pending "disciplinary proceedings" to be carried out by an independent committee.
The move comes after WADA last month banned Russian athletes from competing under their country's flag at major international events for four years, and barred Russia from hosting or bidding for major sporting events.
Russia has appealed against the measures before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
On December 9, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) was again declared noncompliant with the World Anti-Doping Code due to WADA's finding that data provided by the Moscow laboratory had been manipulated in an apparent bid to cover up past drug use by Russian athletes.
The laboratory's full accreditation was revoked in 2015 following the exposure of Russia's institutionalized doping program, but it was allowed to resume ABP analysis in 2016.