Selasa, 03 Agustus 2021

Tokyo Olympics: Belarusian sprinter says she would have faced punishment if she returned home - Sky News

The Belarusian Olympic sprinter who refused to board a plane home from the Games has said officials from her country "made it clear" she would face punishment if she returned.

Krystina Tsimanouskaya, 24, has accused her national team's officials of trying to force her to fly to Minsk after she criticised the coaching staff on social media.

After spending a night at an airport hotel, she received a humanitarian visa by Poland and is planning to fly to Warsaw this week and seek refuge in Europe.

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya of Belarus reacts after competing in Heat 6 of the women's 100m at the Tokyo Olympics
Image: Tsimanouskaya hopes to continue her career

"They made it clear that upon return home I would definitely face some form of punishment," she said. "There were also thinly disguised hints that more would await me."

In an interview with the Associated Press news agency, Tsimanouskaya also said she believed she would be kicked off the national team, and demanded an investigation into who gave the order to withdraw her from Tokyo Olympics.

"For now I just want to safely arrive in Europe... meet with people who have been helping me... and make a decision what to do next," she said.

She added: "I would very much like to continue my sporting career because I'm just 24 and I had plans for two more Olympics at least. For now, the only thing that concerns me is my safety."

More on Belarus

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya meets Boris Johnson in Downing Street
Image: Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya met Boris Johnson in Downing Street on Tuesday

Belarus National Olympic Committee is headed by the country's authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko and his son Viktor.

Tsimanouskaya's husband, Arseniy Zdanevich, has also left Belarus for Ukraine.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday morning as pressure mounts on the Minsk regime following the treatment of the Olympic sprinter.

The PM told Ms Tsikhanouskaya: "We are very much on your side, we are very much supportive of what you are doing. We are committed to supporting human rights and civil society in Belarus."

Who is Krystsina Tsimanouskaya?

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya is a Belarusian sprinter, having previously won two medals (one gold, one silver) in the 100m and 200m sprints, although this is her first Summer Olympics.

The 24-year-old has previously competed in nine international competitions, coming second in the 100m race at the European U23 Championships held in Poland in 2017. She won gold for her 200m performance at the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy.

She came fourth in the women's 100m heat on 30 July, and was scheduled to take part in the 200m race on Monday 2 August.

Ms Tsikhanouskaya said: "It is very important to understand that one of the most powerful countries in the world are supporting Belarus."

Mr Johnson then replied: "We strongly support you, strongly support Belarus, the Belarusian people and I think we were among the first to put in sanctions after the hijacking of Roman Protasevich, the flight that was diverted."

The Belarusian opposition leader thanked the PM for his support and described the meeting as "warm".

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2021-08-03 11:37:30Z
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Tokyo Olympics: Belarusian sprinter says she would have faced punishment if she returned home - Sky News

The Belarusian Olympic sprinter who refused to board a plane home from the Games has said officials from her country "made it clear" she would face punishment if she returned.

Krystina Tsimanouskaya, 24, has accused her national team's officials of trying to force her to fly to Minsk after she criticised the coaching staff on social media.

After spending a night at an airport hotel, she received a humanitarian visa by Poland and is planning to fly to Warsaw this week and seek refuge in Europe.

"They made it clear that upon return home I would definitely face some form of punishment," she said. "There were also thinly disguised hints that more would await me."

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya of Belarus reacts after competing in Heat 6 of the women's 100m at the Tokyo Olympics
Image: Tsimanouskaya hopes to continue her career

In an interview with the Associated Press news agency, Tsimanouskaya also said she believed she would be kicked off the national team, and demanded an investigation into who gave the order to withdraw her from Tokyo Olympics.

"For now I just want to safely arrive in Europe... meet with people who have been helping me... and make a decision what to do next," she said.

She added: "I would very much like to continue my sporting career because I'm just 24 and I had plans for two more Olympics at least. For now, the only thing that concerns me is my safety."

More on Belarus

Belarus National Olympic Committee is headed by the country's authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko and his son Viktor.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday morning as pressure mounts on the Minsk regime following the treatment of the Olympic sprinter.

The PM told Ms Tsikhanouskaya: "We are very much on your side, we are very much supportive of what you are doing. We are committed to supporting human rights and civil society in Belarus."

Ms Tsikhanouskaya said: "It is very important to understand that one of the most powerful countries in the world are supporting Belarus."

Mr Johnson then replied: "We strongly support you, strongly support Belarus, the Belarusian people and I think we were among the first to put in sanctions after the hijacking of Roman Protasevich, the flight that was diverted."

The Belarusian opposition leader thanked the PM for his support and described the meeting as "warm".

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2021-08-03 10:14:04Z
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Afghanistan general says Taliban gains threaten global security - BBC News

An Afghan security official stands guard at a check point in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand province, Afghanistan, 11 July 2021.
EPA

An Afghan general has warned of "devastating" consequences for global security if the Taliban win in their fight against government forces.

General Sami Sadat is leading the battle against the Taliban in the southern province of Helmand, where intense fighting has broken out in its capital Lashkar Gah.

At least 40 civilians have been killed there in the past day, the UN says.

The Taliban are reported to have captured most of the city.

However, the fighting is continuing and government forces have vowed not to let Lashkar Gah fall into militant hands.

Gen Sadat told the BBC that while government forces had lost ground, he believed the Taliban would be unable to sustain their assault.

However, he said the Taliban were being reinforced by fighters from other Islamist groups and warned that their gains posed a threat beyond Afghanistan.

"This will increase the hope for small extremist groups to mobilise in the cities of Europe and America, and will have a devastating effect on global security," he said.

"This is not a war of Afghanistan, this is a war between liberty and totalitarianism."

The Taliban assault in Helmand province is part of a major offensive across Afghanistan.

The militants have made rapid advances in recent months as US forces have withdrawn after 20 years of military operations in the country.

Helmand was the centrepiece of the US and British military campaign, and any Taliban gains there would be a blow for the Afghan government.

If Lashkar Gah fell, it would be the first provincial capital won by the Taliban since 2016, when they briefly held the northern city of Kunduz.

'Corpses on the roads'

Residents of Lashkar Gah say they are living in fear as the city faces heavy assault from the militants, who are being targeted with US and Afghan air strikes.

"Neither the Taliban will have mercy on us nor will the government stop the bombing. There are corpses on the roads. We do not know if they are civilians or the Taliban," one resident told the BBC.

Another said: "I do not know where to go, there are clashes in every corner of the city."

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) says civilians are "bearing the brunt" of the fighting, with the Taliban ground offensive and Afghan air strikes causing the most harm.

It has called on both sides to do more to protect civilians, including an immediate end to fighting in urban areas.

In addition to the fatalities, dozens of people have been injured and thousands displaced, according to Unama.

Doctors in Lashkar Gah have reported being overwhelmed and running low on supplies. "There is fighting all around," one told the BBC.

Map shows key locations in Lashkar Gah

An Afghan interpreter living in the city said his life was under threat from the Taliban because he had worked for the British forces.

"My own house which I left yesterday has been captured by the Taliban and they are living there and they were asking for me," he said.

"We don't know what will happen in [the] future but they are looking from house to house to find the people who worked for Nato."

Meanwhile, officials in the city said Afghan forces had recaptured the office of the state TV and radio station, which had previously been seized by the Taliban.

What is happening elsewhere?

Lashkar Gah is one of three provincial capitals under attack.

Attempts by the militants to capture Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city, have continued after rocket strikes hit its airport on Sunday.

Seizing control of Kandahar would be a huge victory for the Taliban, giving them a grip on the south of the country.

Unama says five civilians have been killed and 42 wounded over the past three days.

In a third besieged city, Herat, in the west, government commandos are battling the insurgents after days of fierce fighting. Government forces have taken back some areas after a UN compound was attacked on Friday.

Videos shared on social media appeared to show residents on the streets and rooftops of Herat shouting "Allahu akbar" ("God is greatest") in support of the government's gains.

As government forces struggled to contain Taliban advances, President Ashraf Ghani blamed the sudden withdrawal of US troops for the increase in fighting.

"The reason for our current situation is that the decision was taken abruptly," he told parliament on Monday.

Mr Ghani said he had warned Washington that the withdrawal would have "consequences".

Although nearly all its military forces have left, the US has continued its air offensive in support of government troops.

President Biden's administration announced on Monday that because of the increase in violence, it would take in thousands more Afghan refugees who worked with US forces.

The US and UK have accused the Taliban of committing possible war crimes by "massacring civilians" in a town captured near the Pakistan border.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had seen reports of "deeply disturbing" Taliban atrocities.

Gruesome videos that emerged from Spin Boldak apparently showed revenge killings. The Taliban have rejected the accusations.

Presentational grey line

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2021-08-03 10:07:40Z
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Japan says Belarus athlete safe as US, EU condemn Lukashenko - Al Jazeera English

Japan said on Tuesday that it is keeping a Belarusian Olympian who took refuge in the Polish embassy “safe” as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a formal investigation into the incident and the United States condemned Belarus’s attempts to send her home as intolerable “transnational repression”.

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, 24, sought police protection on Sunday during a Tokyo airport standoff to avoid returning to Belarus, where she believes her life would be in danger.

The sprinter, who said she was taken to the airport against her will because she had criticised her team’s coaching staff, has now been granted a humanitarian visa by Poland.

Her supporters say she will fly to Warsaw on Wednesday and that her husband, Arseni Zhdanevich will join her there.

In the meantime, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday: “We, in cooperation with relevant parties, are trying to keep her safe”.

“She is now in a safe situation,” he added.

Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya enters the Polish embassy in Tokyo, Japan, August 2, 2021. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/ Reuters]

The incident has focused attention on Belarus, where police have cracked down on dissent following a wave of protests triggered by an election last year which the opposition says was rigged to keep President Alexander Lukashenko in power.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a tweet that the Lukashenko government “sought to commit another act of transnational repression” by “attempting to force Olympian Krystsyna Tsimanouskaya to leave simply for exercising free speech”.

“Such actions violate the Olympic spirit, are an affront to basic rights and cannot be tolerated,” he added.

The European Union, meanwhile, welcomed Poland’s decision to grant Tsimanouskaya a visa and said the repatriation attempt was further evidence of “brutal repression” by the Belarusian president.

In Tokyo, IOC spokesman Mark Adams told reporters on Tuesday that the body had spoken to the athlete twice on Monday, that she was in a safe, secure place. He said the IOC needed to know all the facts before taking further action.

“We are expecting and have asked for a report from the National Olympic Committee of Belarus for today (Tuesday),” Adams said, adding the IOC was still gathering the facts. “We want it (report) today. We have decided to launch a formal investigation. We need to establish the full facts. We need to hear everyone involved.”

Asked whether an IOC decision on the matter would come during the Games, Adams said it was not possible to estimate how long the investigation would take.

“That obviously can take time. We need to get to be bottom of it. How long that will take I do not know,” he said.

‘Order from above’

The sprinter told a Reuters reporter via Telegram that the Belarusian head coach had turned up at her room on Sunday at the athletes’ village and told her she had to leave.

“The head coach came over to me and said there had been an order from above to remove me,” she wrote in the message. “At 5 (pm) they came my room and told me to pack and they took me to the airport.”

But she refused to board the plane and sought the protection of Japanese police.

Tsimanouskaya, who had been due to compete in the 200-metre sprint, said she had been removed from the team because she had spoken out about what she described as the negligence of their coaches.

She had complained on Instagram that she had been entered in the 4×400 metre relay after some team members were found to be ineligible to compete at the Olympics because they had not undergone sufficient doping tests.

“And the coach added me to the relay without my knowledge,” Tsimanouskaya said.

The Belarusian Olympic Committee said coaches had decided to withdraw Tsimanouskaya from the Games on doctors’ advice about her “emotional, psychological state”.

Belarus athletics head coach Yuri Moisevich told state television he “could see there was something wrong with her … She either secluded herself or didn’t want to talk”.

A Warsaw-based Belarusian opposition politician, Pavel Latushko, told Reuters that Belarus officials had told Tsimanouskaya’s mother that her daughter was a spy for Western governments and that someone from Lukashenko’s office approached the mother and asked her to persuade the athlete to come home.

Following her withdrawal from the Games, Tsimanouskaya requested the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn Belarus Olympic officials’ refusal to let her race in the 200 metres.

But the court said in a statement on Tuesday that Tsimanouskaya “was not able to prove her case to get an interim relief”.

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2021-08-03 06:42:52Z
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Afghanistan general says Taliban gains threaten global security - BBC News

An Afghan security official stands guard at a check point in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand province, Afghanistan, 11 July 2021.
EPA

An Afghan general has warned of "devastating" consequences for global security if the Taliban win in their fight against government forces.

General Sami Sadat is leading the battle against the Taliban in the southern province of Helmand, where intense fighting has broken out in its capital Lashkar Gah.

At least 10 civilians have been killed there in recent days, the UN says.

The Taliban have seized several districts of Lashkar Gah.

But Gen Sadat said he was confident the group would not take the city.

He told the BBC that while government forces had lost ground, he believed the Taliban would be unable to sustain their assault.

However, he said the Taliban were being reinforced by fighters from other Islamist groups and warned that their gains posed a threat beyond Afghanistan.

"This will increase the hope for small extremist groups to mobilise in the cities of Europe and America, and will have a devastating effect on global security," he said.

"This is not a war of Afghanistan, this is a war between liberty and totalitarianism."

The Taliban assault in Helmand province is part of a major offensive across Afghanistan.

The militants have made rapid advances in recent months as US forces have withdrawn after 20 years of military operations in the country.

Helmand was the centrepiece of the US and British military campaign, and any Taliban gains there would be a blow for the Afghan government.

If Lashkar Gah fell, it would be the first provincial capital won by the Taliban since 2016, when they briefly held the northern city of Kunduz.

'Corpses on the roads'

Residents of Lashkar Gah say they are living in fear as the city faces heavy assault from the militants, who are being targeted with US and Afghan air strikes.

"Neither the Taliban will have mercy on us nor will the government stop the bombing. There are corpses on the roads. We do not know if they are civilians or the Taliban," one resident told the BBC.

Another said: "I do not know where to go, there are clashes in every corner of the city."

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) says civilians are "bearing the brunt" of the fighting. It has called on both sides to do more to protect them.

In addition to the fatalities, dozens of people have been injured and thousands displaced, according to Unama.

Doctors in Lashkar Gah have reported being overwhelmed and running low on supplies. "There is fighting all around," one told the BBC.

Meanwhile, officials in the city said Afghan forces had recaptured the office of the state TV and radio station, which had previously been seized by the Taliban.

What is happening elsewhere?

Lashkar Gah is one of three provincial capitals under attack.

Attempts by the militants to capture Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city, have continued after rocket strikes hit its airport on Sunday.

Seizing control of Kandahar would be a huge victory for the Taliban, giving them a grip on the south of the country.

Unama says five civilians have been killed and 42 wounded over the past three days.

In a third besieged city, Herat, in the west, government commandos are battling the insurgents after days of fierce fighting. Government forces have taken back some areas after a UN compound was attacked on Friday.

Videos shared on social media appeared to show residents on the streets and rooftops of Herat shouting "Allahu akbar" ("God is greatest") in support of the government's gains.

Map showing areas of full Taliban or government control, updated 29 July 2021

As government forces struggled to contain Taliban advances, President Ashraf Ghani blamed the sudden withdrawal of US troops for the increase in fighting.

"The reason for our current situation is that the decision was taken abruptly," he told parliament on Monday.

Mr Ghani said he had warned Washington that the withdrawal would have "consequences".

Although nearly all its military forces have left, the US has continued its air offensive in support of government troops.

President Biden's administration announced on Monday that because of the increase in violence, it would take in thousands more Afghan refugees who worked with US forces.

The US and UK have accused the Taliban of committing possible war crimes by "massacring civilians" in a town captured near the Pakistan border.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had seen reports of "deeply disturbing" Taliban atrocities.

Gruesome videos that emerged from Spin Boldak apparently showed revenge killings. The Taliban have rejected the accusations.

Presentational grey line

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2021-08-03 07:32:12Z
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Senin, 02 Agustus 2021

Belarus sporting chiefs tell 'kidnapped' sprinter's mother she was nobbled by foreign SPIES - Daily Mail

Belarus tells the mother of 'kidnapped'  Olympic sprinter that she had actually been recruited by foreign SPIES after terrified athlete holes up in Polish embassy in Tokyo

  • A group helping Krystsina Tsimanouskaya said her mother had been contacted by officials from the Belarusian Olympic Committee
  • They told her that her daughter had been recruited by foreign spies and must return to Belarus immediately
  • The sprinter was granted humanitarian visa by Poland today after applying for asylum in the country
  • The 24-year-old was seen entering Poland's embassy in Tokyo earlier, as her husband fled Belarus for Ukraine
  • Couple fear for their safety after Tsimanouskaya was ordered home from Olympics for criticising her trainers  
  • Belarus ruler Alexander Lukashenko has cracked down on dissent following mass protests against his rule last year, with thousands of activists and opponents jailed and tortured 
  • Find out the latest Tokyo Olympic news including schedule, medal table and results right here

Belarusian officials have told the mother of a sprinter involved in a suspected kidnapping that she has been recruited by foreign spies and must return to Belarus.

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was granted asylum by Poland on Monday after seeking help from Japanese police at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Sunday, saying she feared for her safety.

The 24-year-old athlete said she was unexpectedly told to pack her bags at short notice and return to Belarus after she posted an Instagram video criticising the national team. 

The Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation (BSSF), which supports athletes jailed or sidelined for their political views, told The Telegraph that the country's Olympic Committee had contacted Tsimanouskaya's mother on Monday.

She was told that her daughter had 'been recruited by foreign intelligence and has to come back home immediately,' the group told the paper, adding that Tsimanouskaya had told them of the contact. 

Tsimanouskaya is currently holed up in the Polish embassy in Tokyo after the country granted her a humanitarian visa amid concerns over her safety. 

She was seen going into the Polish embassy in the Japanese capital on Monday, having spent the night at a 'secure' airport hotel.

Hours later, it was revealed that she had been granted a humanitarian visa and is now due to fly to Warsaw on Wednesday, where she can then apply for asylum.

Meanwhile Tsimanouskaya's husband Arseni Zhdanevich revealed he had fled his home country to Ukraine, speaking to journalists from Kiev on Monday and saying that he hopes to join his wife in Poland 'in the near future'.

'I made the decision to leave without thinking twice,' he told Sky News, admitting he didn't expect the situation to escalate as far as it has. 

'We're just normal sports people,' he added, 'we're just devoted to sports and we're not interested in the opposition movement.'

He fled as Franak Viocorka, senior adviser Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, warned Tsimanouskaya's family who are still in the country could now become targets of the regime to put pressure on her. He later claimed on Twitter that her parents and grandmother are under threat.

The saga began last week when Tsimanouskaya uploaded a post to Instagram criticising her trainers for entering her into the 4x400m relay without her knowledge and without her training for the event. She was due to compete in the 200m sprint on Monday. 

Tsimanouskaya arrives at the Polish embassy
Tsimanouskaya arrives at the Polish embassy

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, 24, the Belarusian athlete who claimed Olympic officials from her country were trying to kidnap her after she criticised them, is pictured arriving at the Polish embassy in Tokyo as she seeks asylum

Tsimanouskaya hit out at her country's Olympic body - run by dictator Alexander Lukashenko's son, Viktor - after she was entered into a race without her knowledge, before 'an order was received' to send her home

Tsimanouskaya hit out at her country's Olympic body - run by dictator Alexander Lukashenko's son, Viktor - after she was entered into a race without her knowledge, before 'an order was received' to send her home

Tsimanouskaya sought police help at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Sunday, claiming she was being kidnapped before officers to her to a 'secure' location where she remained overnight

Tsimanouskaya sought police help at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Sunday, claiming she was being kidnapped before officers to her to a 'secure' location where she remained overnight

Tsimanouskaya says she fears being jailed if she is sent back to Belarus, where Lukashenko has made a habit of locking up his critics with many reporting being beaten and tortured by police behind bars

Tsimanouskaya says she fears being jailed if she is sent back to Belarus, where Lukashenko has made a habit of locking up his critics with many reporting being beaten and tortured by police behind bars

She was next seen at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Sunday where she handed herself over to police, claiming she was being taken out of the country against her will and that she feared for her safety if she returned home. 

Viktor Lukashenko: Dictator's son who crushed protests and now leads Olympic committee

The eldest son of Belarus dictator Alexander, 45-year-old Viktor Lukashenko is made in his father's image - both in terms of looks and personality.

Raised to lead the country, he attended the Belarusian State University where he studied international relations before serving in the country's border guards as part of his mandatory military service - the same section of the military his father served in.

He went on to work in the foreign ministry and for Agat, a military technology company, before becoming national security adviser to his father in 2005.

During protests that followed the 2010 election in Belarus, which Lukashenko is widely thought to have rigged, Viktor was involved in repressing dissent.

He was subsequently sanctioned by the EU, which accused him of playing 'a key role in the repressive measures implemented against the democratic opposition and civil society... In particular in the crackdown of the demonstration on 19 December.'

On that occasion, riot police had brutally beaten thousands of protesters and arrested hundreds as they tried to storm the presidential palace in frustration at the election result.

Vladimir Neklyaev, an opposition leader, was beaten unconscious in a separate incident before being carried away to jail wrapped in a carpet.

Viktor was elected as head of Belarus's Olympic Committee - replacing his father - in February this year, prompting sanctions from the global body.

The International Olympic Committee said in March that it refused to recognise the election and would ban both Alexander and Viktor Lukashenko from attending the Tokyo Games for 'failing to protect athletes from political discrimination' following anti-regime protests in which many sportsmen took part.

Dmitry Baskov, who was elected board member of the Belarus committee, was also sanctioned. He is suspected of ordering or participating in the beating of artist Raman Bandarenka, who later died in hospital. 

Belarus' leader President Alexander Lukashenko, known as Europe's last dictator, has cracked down on dissent since claiming victory in elections last year that are widely considered to have been rigged - jailing critics who have reported being beaten and electrocuted by police behind bars. At least 10 people have died as a result, opposition activist say. 

State-owned media in Belarus turned against Tsimanouskaya after her Instagram post and continued to rail against her after news of her escape, describing her as a 'rotten dog' and 'Instagram diva' who is a 'disgrace to her country'.

A presenter for the state-owned ONT broadcaster ominously warned: 'Something tells us that this is the end of Tsimanouskaya, not even as a sports person, but just as a person.' 

Meanwhile an audio recording has been leaked purporting to capture the moment Tsimanouskaya was told she would be flying home after 'an order was received' from on-high.   

The audio, released by Belarus Telegram channel 'Nick and Mike' which is hostile to Lukashenko, allegedly documents Tsimanouskaya arguing with two men identified as Belarus athletics head coach Yuri Moisevich and Artur Shumak, deputy director of the country's athletics training academy.

On the tape, the man believed to be Shumak tells her that 'an order has been received' for her to go home, saying the plan is to play it off in public as a sports injury but that in reality it is because of 'accusations and comments that you made'.

A man believed to be Moisevich then tells her bluntly to 'shut up' and 'obey', adding that 'nothing good will happen' if she decides to stay in Tokyo.

But Tsimanouskaya pushes back, prompting Shumak to compare her to a fly caught in a web.

'When a fly gets into a web, the more it moves, the more it gets entangled. This is how life works,' he says. 'We do stupid things, you have done something stupid. I hope you understand that.'

Moisevich then adds: 'If (you) do not obey, then we have no escape routes. You know, if there is gangrene, they cut off half of the leg, otherwise they cannot save the whole organism.

'Yes, sorry for the leg. Otherwise, stay with your leg and die.'

When Tsimanouskaya accuses him of 'covering your own a**' by ordering her to go home, he encourages her to be 'smart' and not resist. 'Believe me, I'm not saving my own a**,' he adds. 

It is not clear how the audio was recorded or leaked, though it appears it was made before Tsimanouskaya was taken to the airport. 

The sprinter fell foul Belarusian officials after criticising national coaches after she was entered into a 4x400m relay event without her knowledge and having never trained for the event. Tsimanouskaya is a 200m sprinter. 

Tsimanouskaya said in an interview with Tribuna.com: 'I am afraid that in Belarus they might put me in jail. I am not afraid that I will be fired or kicked out of the national [team]. I am worried about my safety. And I think that at the moment it is not safe for me in Belarus.'  

Tsimanouskaya recounted how on Saturday she was told she needed to be 'removed from the Olympics' and claimed that Yuri Moisevich, the head coach of the Belarusian national team, warned her that if she did not agree to drop out of the 200m: 'I will be removed from the national team, deprived of work and, perhaps, there will be some other consequences.' 

The two eventually decided she would run but the following day she was instructed to pack up. She claims Moisevich told her the decision was no longer with the Ministry of Sport, and had been made 'at a higher level'.   

Tsimanouskaya is being assisted by the BSSF and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also become involved in the case following an appeal from the athlete.

Lukashenko targets sports stars after they led protests against his rule 

Sport is never far from politics in the ex-Soviet country ruled by Lukashenko, the long-serving authoritarian leader who sparked mass protests last year for claiming to have won a sixth presidential term.

Belarusian security forces unleashed a crackdown against the protests, detaining thousands of demonstrators and pushing opposition leaders into exile.

Shortly before the Tokyo Games, Lukashenko warned sports officials and athletes that he expected results in Tokyo.

'Think about it before going,' he said. 'If you come back with nothing, it's better for you not to come back at all.'

Tsimanouskaya was one of more than 2000 Belarusian sports figures who signed an open letter last year calling for new elections and for all political prisoners to be freed following the mass protests.

Some athletes were also briefly detained in the protests, including a kickboxing champion and an Olympic medalist.

In August last year, Tsimanouskaya had called for an end to repression.

'I am against any kind of repression, I am for peace, for honesty, for freedom of speech,' she said in a post on Instagram underneath a photo of her holding the Belarusian flag.

Aside from that post, Tsimanouskaya's Instagram is dominated by posts about her training sessions and nutrition.

Belarus's exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya accused the Lukashenko regime of trying to 'kidnap' Tsimanouskaya.

'Tsimanouskaya is proof that any Belarusian athlete sent to the Olympics can become a hostage if he finds the courage to speak,' she said on messaging app Telegram.

Belarusian state television scorned the runner, with one presenter calling her 'a person that has nothing to do with the Olympic movement'.

The country's sports and political officials have suggested that the incident was pre-planned and could have been orchestrated from outside.

'It is possible that (outside influence) was working with the girl,' said political commentator Alexander Shpakovsky in the official newspaper of Belarus's presidential administration, Sovetskaya Belorussiya, suggesting the country's neighbours were involved.

Born in 1996 in eastern Belarus, Tsimanouskaya competed in the 200m at the world championships in Doha in 2019, but was knocked out in the heats after finishing fourth in her race in a time of 23.22 seconds.

'The IOC and Tokyo 2020 have spoken to Krystsina Tsymanouskaya directly tonight,' the organisation said in a Twitter post on Sunday.

'She is with the authorities at Haneda airport and is currently accompanied by a staff member of Tokyo 2020. She has told us that she feels safe,' it said in a tweet. 

'The IOC and Tokyo 2020 will continue their conversations with Krystsina Tsimanouskaya and the authorities to determine the next steps in the upcoming days.'  

The sprinter's dilemma began when she alleged in a now-deleted Instagram video that she was entered into a 4x400m relay event on Thursday at short notice by Belarusian officials after some team mates were found to be ineligible to compete.

She claimed that following the release of the video coaching staff had come to her room on Sunday and told her to pack to return home. 

Tsimanouskaya told Tribuna that she packed as slowly as possible, while contacting relatives and authorities for advice. She said was told to seek help from police at the airport.

The BSSF said Tsimanouskaya had been targeted by supporters of the Belarusian government, led by Alexander Lukashenko, who is often dubbed 'Europe's last dictator'.

'The campaign was quite serious and that was a clear signal that her life would be in danger in Belarus,' Alexander Opeikin, a spokesman for the BSSF, told The Associated Press in an interview. 

'We appealed to a number of countries for help,' said Herasimenia, a three-time Olympic medallist. 'But the first that reacted was the Polish consulate. We are ready to accept their help.' 

Tsimanouskaya summoned Japanese police at Haneda Airport and did not board a flight departing for Istanbul. Foreign ministry officials arrived later at the airport, Opeikin said. 

In a statement on Sunday afternoon, the Belarusian Olympic Committee said that national coaches had decided to withdraw Tsimanouskaya from the Tokyo Games on doctors' advice about her 'emotional, psychological state'. 

She refuted this assessment, telling Tribuna she was never visited by a doctor.

'No doctors came to me, no one examined me. I have a good psychological state, even though such a situation has occurred. I carry on normally, I have no health problems, no injuries, no mental issues. I was ready to run,' Tsimanouskaya said. 

The IOC had been in dispute with the Belarus National Olympic Committee ahead of the Tokyo Games. 

The Belarus National Olympic Committee has been led for more than 25 years by Lukashenko and his son, Viktor. 

Both Lukashenkos are banned from the Tokyo Olympics by the IOC, which investigated complaints from athletes that they faced reprisals and intimidation in fallout from protests since last August after the country's disputed presidential election. 

The suspected attempted kidnapping comes months after Western countries condemned the government of Kremlin-backed strongman Lukashenko after it scrambled a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet to hijack a commercial passenger plane so it could arrest a dissident journalist.  

Ms Tsimanouskaya was born and raised in Belarus, but will now fly to Poland on August 4 to try and start a new life after criticism of her Olympic coaches led to her being threatened. Meanwhile husband Arseni Zhdanevich has fled to Ukraine, saying he hopes to join his wife in Warsaw 'in the near future'

Ms Tsimanouskaya was born and raised in Belarus, but will now fly to Poland on August 4 to try and start a new life after criticism of her Olympic coaches led to her being threatened. Meanwhile husband Arseni Zhdanevich has fled to Ukraine, saying he hopes to join his wife in Warsaw 'in the near future'

Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya (right) is seen at Haneda international airport in Tokyo

Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya (right) is seen at Haneda international airport in Tokyo

Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya (centre) is escorted by police officers at Haneda international airport

Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya (centre) is escorted by police officers at Haneda international airport

Tsimanouskaya competed for Belarus on the first day of track events on Friday at the National Stadium in Tokyo. She placed fourth in her first-round heat in the 100 meters, timing 11.47 seconds, and did not advance. 

She filmed a video that was published on Telegram earlier on Sunday by the BSSF, in which she asked the IOC to get involved in her case. 

She said: 'I am asking the International Olympic Committee for help. There is pressure against me and they are trying to get me out of the country without my permission. So, I am asking the IOC to get involved in this.' 

Tsimanouskaya told Reuters from the airport: 'Some of our girls did not fly here to compete in the 4x400m relay because they didn't have enough doping tests. And the coach added me to the relay without my knowledge. I spoke about this publicly. The head coach came over to me and said there had been an order from above to remove me. 

Dissident journalists said Belarusian state media launched a campaign against Tsimanouskaya after she criticised Belarus national team's management on Friday. 

Minsk-based journalist Hanna Liubakova posted a video which appeared to show the athlete at the airport, tweeting: 'Tsimanouskaya was accompanied to the airport by two members of the Belarusian sports delegation. She is now with the police and volunteers. When asked if she was afraid to fly to #Belarus, Tsimanouskaya answered 'yes'.' 

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who was due to compete in the women's 200 meters on Monday, told Reuters she did not plan to return to her country and that she had sought the protection of Japanese police at Tokyo's Haneda airport so she would not have to board the flight

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who was due to compete in the women's 200 meters on Monday, told Reuters she did not plan to return to her country and that she had sought the protection of Japanese police at Tokyo's Haneda airport so she would not have to board the flight

Tsimanouskaya (left) competes in the women's 100m heats at the 2020 Tokyo Games on Saturday

Tsimanouskaya (left) competes in the women's 100m heats at the 2020 Tokyo Games on Saturday

The sprinter said that she had reached out to members of the Belarusian diaspora in Japan to retrieve her at the airport, adding: 'I think I am safe. I am with the police.' 

She later said that members of the diaspora had come to stand outside the airport to offer their support. 

The incident is reminiscent of the kidnapping of Belarusian dissident journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega in Minsk after Lukashenko scrambled a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet to escort a commercial passenger plane back to Belarus. 

Ryanair flight FR4978 had been flying from Athens in Greece to Vilnius in Lithuania in May when it was forced to make an emergency landing in Minsk amid fake reports of an IED on board.  

Protasevich was then seen on June 4 in a tearful interview aired on state media in which he confessed to calling for protests last year and praised Lukashenko. 

The incident prompted the European Union to ban Belarusian airlines, urge EU airlines not to cross into Belarusian airspace and threaten tough economic sanctions on Lukashenko's government.

The British Government instructed all UK planes to cease flying over Belarus. Some countries have also imposed sanctions against Belarusian officials over a crackdown on demonstrators and a presidential election last year that the opposition said was rigged. 

On Monday, the head of a Kyiv-based non-profit organisation that helps Belarusians fleeing persecution was reported missing after not returning from his morning run, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian police force said.

Vitaly Shishov, the head of Belarusian House in Ukraine (BDU), was reported missing by his partner, police said.

'We will investigate, until there is information about what happened to him. The statement by his partner has been registered. The partner said that he went for a run and did not return, disappeared,' the police spokesperson said by phone.

Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania have become safe havens for Belarusians during a violent crackdown by President Alexander Lukashenko following a disputed election last year.

BDU helps Belarusians find accommodation, jobs and legal advice, according to its website. In a separate statement, the organisation said it was not able to contact Shishov. 

Jailed journalist Roman Protasevich last appeared at a press conference in Minsk in June, telling reporters he felt 'wonderful'

Jailed journalist Roman Protasevich last appeared at a press conference in Minsk in June, telling reporters he felt 'wonderful'

Vladimir Putin (left) was virtually the only supporter of Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko (left) over the hijacking of a Ryanair passenger plane earlier this month which was escorted to Minsk by a fighter jet and forced to land so authorities could arrest a dissident journalist

Vladimir Putin (left) was virtually the only supporter of Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko (left) over the hijacking of a Ryanair passenger plane earlier this month which was escorted to Minsk by a fighter jet and forced to land so authorities could arrest a dissident journalist

Belarus was rocked by strikes and weekly street protests after authorities announced that Lukashenko, who has ruled in authoritarian fashion since 1994, had secured re-election on August 9, 2020 with 80 per cent of votes

Belarus was rocked by strikes and weekly street protests after authorities announced that Lukashenko, who has ruled in authoritarian fashion since 1994, had secured re-election on August 9, 2020 with 80 per cent of votes

Lukashenko has kept a tight grip on Belarus, a former Soviet state, since 1994. Faced with mass street protests last year over the elections, he ordered a violent crackdown on protesters. Lukashenko denies the allegations of vote-rigging.

Unusually in a country where elite athletes often rely on government funding, some prominent Belarusian athletes joined the protests. 

Several were jailed, including Olympic basketball player Yelena Leuchanka and decathlete Andrei Krauchanka.

Others lost their state employment or were kicked off national teams for supporting the opposition.

During the Cold War, scores of sports people and cultural figures defected from the Soviet Union and its satellite states during overseas competitions or tours. But the freedom of travel that came with the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union saw the need for such dramatic acts dwindle. 

Russia's Vladimir Putin was virtually the only world leader to defend Lukashenko over the hijacking. Russia promised Belarus a £1.06billion loan last year as part of Moscow's efforts to stabilise its neighbour and longstanding ally. Minsk received a first instalment of £352million in October.

Following talks in Sochi, Russia said it will move ahead with a second £352million loan to Belarus.

In May, the head of NATO linked the Kremlin to the hijack of the Ryanair jet by Belarus, having previously described the incident as a 'state-sponsored hijacking'.  

Europe's last dictator: Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994 

Born in 1954 in the village of Kopys, in what was then the USSR, Alexander Lukashenko was the son of an unknown father - thought by some to by a Roma gypsy - and a labourer mother, Ekaterina Lukashenko.

He studied in Belarus and graduated from the Mogilyov Teaching Institute in 1975, then went on to study at the Belarusian Agricultural Academy in the 1980s.

He did a brief stint in the Belarusian border guards and also served in the Soviet Army, becoming involved in politics as a teacher within the military and as the leader of a Leninist organisation in the city of Mogilev.

After leaving the military he joined the ranks of the Communist Party and was appointed leader of a state farm, before being elected to the Supreme Council of Belarus in 1990.

Lukashenko made his name as an anti-corruption campaigner and emerged as a strong political ally of Moscow - the only deputy to oppose the December 1991 agreement that led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

In 1994 he appealed to Russia to form a new union of Slavic states, shortly before his election as President of Belarus - promising stronger ties between the two nations.

Two years later, he persuaded voters to approve a new constitution allowing him to extend his term in office, rule by decree, and to appoint a majority of parliament.

Lukashenko used those powers to extend his term in 1999, and won an election in 2001 and another in 2006 - amid allegations of vote-rigging that resulted EU leaders banning him from their countries.

Election victories - accompanied by more allegations of fixing - followed again in 2010 and 2015.

Lukashenko's popularity declined rapidly between 2015 and 2020, spurred on by his increasingly erratic behaviour coupled with mismanagement of the Covid crisis - during which he claimed vodka and saunas could prevent the disease.

Amid a wave of dissent, another election was held in 2020 which returned an official victory for Lukashenko with 80 per cent of the vote - though few believe this to be accurate.

His main opponent - Sergei Tikhanovsky - was arrested in the run-up to the ballot, leaving wife Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to run in his stead. She subsequently fled the country to Lithuania after being targeted by police.

Anger at the result sparked the largest wave of protests in Belarus since its Soviet days, with mass demonstrations, strikes and calls for a change of leadership.

Lukashenko responded by sending riot police on to the streets to round up dissenters, with an estimated 25,000 arrested by November. Ten have so-far died amid the crackdown.

Lukashenko has also cracked down on journalists, raiding the offices of the country's largest newspaper Tut.by along with the home of its editor on charges of 'tax evasion'.

In May he staged his most-daring move yet, diverting a Ryanair jet carrying dissident reporter Roman Protasevich to Lithuania before arresting him.

Mr Protasevich's allies, including Ms Tsikhanouskaya, say they now fear for his life.

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