Belarus Olympian given Polish visa after refusing 'forced' flight home

Belarus Olympian given Polish visa after refusing
# 03 August 2021 02:09 (UTC +04:00)

A sprinter from Belarus who refused her team's order to fly home early from the Olympics has been granted a humanitarian visa by Poland, APA reports.

Krystina Timanovskaya, 24, is at the Polish embassy in Tokyo after spending the night secured in a hotel under protection from Japanese police.

She said she was forcibly taken to the airport for criticising coaches, and voiced fears for her safety.

Belarus says she was removed from the team because of her emotional state.

Ms Timanovskaya told the BBC on Monday that she was safe, but said she had been advised not to give further details at this stage.

The incident has again put the spotlight on Belarus, which has been ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994. Last year, nationwide protests over his disputed re-election were violently repressed by the security forces.

#
#

THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED