Belarus sprinter granted Polish humanitarian visa
Poland has granted a humanitarian visa to Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, a Belarusian Olympic athlete who claimed her team tried to force her to leave Japan, Poland’s deputy foreign minister said on Monday.
Tsimanouskaya “is already in direct contact with Polish diplomats in Tokyo. She has received a humanitarian visa. Poland will do whatever is necessary to help her to continue her sporting career”, Marcin Przydacz wrote on Twitter.
Przydacz said Tsimanouskaya had turned to Poland for help out of her “very difficult” situation and was “safe on the grounds of our embassy” in Tokyo, news channel TVN24 reported.
“Poland offers support to Belarusian citizens who for political reasons either want to leave Belarusian territory or do not want to return to Belarus,” he said. The Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation told The Associated Press that the group has bought her a plane ticket to Warsaw for August 4.
The current standoff apparently began after Tsimanouskaya criticised how officials were managing her team - setting off a massive backlash in state-run media back home, where authorities relentlessly crack down on government critics.
Tsimanouskaya said on her Instagram account that she was put in the 4x400 relay even though she has never raced in the event.
Tsimanouskaya was then apparently hustled to the airport but refused to board a flight for Istanbul and instead approached police for help.