Azimi, who competes in the F53 class in athletics and won the men's shot put bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for hydrochlorothiazide in a urine sample provided on August 17 2019 in an out-of-competition test in Iran's capital, Tehran.  

This substance is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List for 2019, under the category S5 - diuretics and masking agents.

As a result of his violation, Azimi will be ineligible for competition for nine months from August 17 last year until to May 17.

All his results obtained from August 17 and onwards will be disqualified, including forfeiture of any medals, points, records and prizes.

"The IPC would like to remind all athletes the principle of strict liability applies to anti-doping matters and that any athletes who need to take a prohibited substance for medical reasons should seek a therapeutic use exemption," a statement said. 

"Each athlete is strictly liable for the substances found in his or her sample, and that an Anti-Doping Rule Violation occurs whenever a prohibited substance (or its metabolites or markers) is found in his or her bodily specimen, whether or not the athlete intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was negligent or otherwise at fault."

As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), the IPC claims it remains committed to a doping-free sporting environment at all levels. 

The IPC, together with the International Federations and the National Paralympic Committees, established the IPC Anti-Doping Code to prevent doping in sport for Paralympic athletes, in the spirit of fair play. 

The IPC Anti-Doping Code is in conformity with the general principles of the WADC.