Russia has been reinstated by the World Anti-Doping Agency, a controversial decision given the extent of doping offenses in the country.

The WADA Executive Committee voted to reinstate the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) at a meeting in Seychelles on Thursday. The decision was expected after the WADA Compliance Review Committee made its recommendation for reinstatement last week.

WADA President Craig Reedie announced on Twitter that the "vast majority" of the executive committee had decided to reinstate RUSADA as compliant.

"This decision provides a clear timetable for WADA to access data and samples from the Moscow laboratory, with a clear commitment from the (Executive Committee) that if this deadline is not met, it would support the recommendation of the committee to restore the non-compliance, "said Reedie in a tweet.

Russia was suspended in November 2015 when a report by WADA found a state-sponsored doping system in athletics. The report described how athletic athletes were doped and coaches and officials concealed fraud by manipulating doping reports and testing procedures.

In July 2016, a report by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren revealed a system of falsification of samples at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, which included passing urine samples through a hole in the wall. The report stated that 28 Russian athletes who participated in Sochi had altered samples.

According to McLaren, more than 1,000 athletes have been involved in the state-sponsored doping system.

Over the past few days, dozens of athletes, anti-doping leaders and sports officials from around the world denounced the lifting of the suspension of RUSADA by WADA. They highlighted two key conditions in a roadmap for Russia to regain its compliance, demanding that Russian officials publicly accept the McLaren report and publish electronic data and samples from the Moscow laboratory.

More: Opinion: The decision to restore Russia would be catastrophic

"By acting on the promise and not on proven compliance, WADA's decision to re-establish RUSADA would weaken the increasingly delicate integrity of international sport," Reedie wrote in a letter to a group of more than 30 athletes. US. "Ignoring the established conditions does not take into account the voice of the athlete who claims a fair and equitable playing field."

Grigory Rodchenkov, a former director of the Moscow Laboratory who became a whistleblower and denounced the Russian doping system, also protested against the reinstatement of RUSADA.

"It has become clear that to succeed in the fight against doping, we must target infidel countries and international sports federations by challenging their denial and irresponsible behavior," wrote Rodchenkov in USA.

Rodchenkov added that any decision by WADA to re-establish RUSADA "would be a disaster for the Olympic sports ideals, the fight against doping and the protection of clean athletes".

Contributor: Rachel Axon