The article examines issues of criminal liability in the activities of international sports federations as quasi-public entities within the system of global sports governance. It analyzes the contradiction between the private-law status of sports federations and the actual scope of the authoritative powers they exercise at the international level. The study identifies the main criminal-law risks inherent in their functioning, including corruption, financial crimes, manipulation of sports results, abuse of regulatory powers, and pressure exerted on employees and national federations, particularly those that are financially dependent. Special attention is paid to the absence of a unified international mechanism of criminal liability for legal entities and to the conflict between the principle of autonomy of sport and the priority of public criminal jurisdiction. The article formulates proposals for improving international and national regulation, extending the scope of liability, and introducing effective compliance mechanisms.
LEYLA KULIYEVA (2026) studied this question.