The Polish government has offered a humanitarian visa to the Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who competes in the Tokyo Olympics and refused to return to his country for fear of retaliation from the regime de Lukashenko.
Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz has posted on his social media that “Poland is ready to help” the athlete and assured that “he has been offered a humanitarian visa and is free to continue his sporting career in Poland if you so desire “.
The 24-year-old runner posted a video on a social media channel used by Belarusian activists who side with athletes from that country persecuted for their political views.
The next day, Belarusian state television said Tsimanouskaya lacked “team spirit” and then the Minsk authorities ordered him to return from Japan “because of his emotional and psychological state.”
Arriving at Tokyo Airport, the athlete claimed the protection of the Japanese police, who took her into his custody, and declared himself to feel “safe” from that moment on.
Tsimanouskaya has competed in several world and European championships and won the women’s 200 meters at the 2019 Universiade in Naples.
When, last year, the controversial presidential election in Belarus sparked a wave of protests that were harshly repressed by the Lukashenko regime, the athlete condemned the violence and expressed support for pro-democracy demonstrations.
According to figures from the Polish Foreign Office, the 282 requests for political asylum received so far this year by Belarusian citizens have been accepted by Warsaw and the Polish government maintains a legal protection program and financial aid to immigrants from that country.
The government of Mateusz Morawiecki also supports the Belarusian democratic opposition, whose exiled leader Svetlana Tijanovskaya has paid two official visits to Warsaw and received funds and facilities to maintain a center of political activity in the capital. Polish.
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