Belarus Olympic Athlete who refused to go home granted Polish asylum
The 24-year-old was set to compete in women’s 200-metre heats on Monday, but says she was taken to the airport on Sunday to board a flight.
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The 24-year-old was set to compete in women’s 200-metre heats on Monday, but says she was taken to the airport on Sunday to board a flight.
A Belarusian athlete at the Tokyo 2020 games who refused to board a flight back to her country has been granted a humanitarian visa by the Warsaw government, after she took refuge in Tokyo's Polish embassy.
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View on XSprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who was seen ushered into the Polish embassy, plans to go to Poland in the coming days. Polish deputy foreign minister, Marcin Przydacz, told Reuters that she is "safe and in good condition."
The 24-year-old was set to compete in women's 200-metre heats on Monday, but says she was taken to the airport on Sunday to board a flight.
Tsimanouskaya had been sent back home after she was disqualified from the Belorussian team, for complaining about Olympic rules on Instagram. Her husband, Arseni Zhdanevich, will also be going to Poland.
The news comes as the country Belarus is in conflict with its ruler, Alexander Lukashenko. His critics have accused him of rigging an election, and has since cracked down on protests against him.
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