Olympic athlete Kristina Timanowskaja (24) was apparently almost kidnapped from Japan by Belarusian thugs – because she had expressed criticism of the regime in her country. After the Olympic scandal, the Belarusian asked Poland for asylum and immediately received a humanitarian visa.
She is not the only one who will not return because of the dictator Alexander Lukashenko. Two other Belarusian athletes are turning their backs on their homeland. Heptathlete Jana Maksimowa (32) and her athletics husband Andrej Kravchenko (35) want to stay in Germany. The family is currently staying there.
«You can lose your life»
«We decided not to return to Belarus. Unfortunately, today you can not only lose your freedom there, but also your life, ”writes Maximowa on Instagram and posts a photo with her little daughter. «Here you have the opportunity to breathe with full chest and to be one of those who fight for the freedom of their people, their friends and family. We will definitely win. ”
Kristina Timanowskaja has meanwhile left Japan. But instead of flying directly to Warsaw, she got on a plane to Vienna on Wednesday morning. Apparently she changed her plans at the last minute.
According to the Reuters news agency, Timanovskaya decided to do this for security reasons. The Austrian Foreign Ministry confirmed this, writes the “Mirrors”.
According to the Russian news agency Tass, the decision was made by the Polish embassy because several foreign journalists had booked a place on the original flight. At first it was not clear whether Timanovskaya wanted to travel to Austria or just make a stopover. It is not known whether the reasons also have to do with the ruler Lukashenko.
Protasevich case
The Belarusian president had already lifted a plane from the sky in May. The government critic Roman Protasewitsch (26) sat on board the Ryanair plane at the time. The opposition blogger, who was on his way to Vilnius from Athens, was arrested after the emergency landing in Minsk.
In June Protasevich surprisingly said at a press conference that he was fine. Journalists and human rights activists expressed doubts after his appearance. Protasewitsch is said to have been forced to confess as before in a video message. He is now under house arrest.
Husband also fled
Timanovskaya accused Lukashenko of attempted kidnapping. After she criticized sports officials in her country, attempts were made to force her to return to Belarus. Timanovskaya had to leave the Olympic Games in a hurry on August 1st. After that she stayed at the Polish embassy in Tokyo.
The IOC Disciplinary Commission is now set to focus primarily on the athletics head coach of Belarus and the deputy director of the national training center. The two officials are said to have informed Timanovskaya that she had to return to her homeland early because of her criticism of the decisions made by the top team on social media.
Timanovskaya had said the “picture” that it was not about politics. “I only criticized the fact that our head coaches decided on the relay team without consulting the athletes,” she said. “I would never have thought that it could take on such proportions and become a political scandal.”
Timanovskaya’s husband also claims to have fled from authoritarian Belarus and is now in Kiev, Ukraine. Because of his wife’s conflict with the authorities, they are “not safe” in Belarus.
Timanowskaja is supposed to land in Austria at 4 p.m. It is unclear whether and when her husband will join her. (man)