For a long time she was afraid and kept silent and now she asks her compatriots to tell the truth.
The Belarusian athlete Kristina Timanovskaya does not feel like a symbol of freedom after her escape. “Maybe I'm more of an example that you shouldn't be afraid, that you shouldn't be silent. Although I was afraid myself for a long time and kept silent for a long time. But I was less afraid for myself than for my husband and my parents, ”she said of the time . She loves her country, Belarus is her home. But “for me there is no turning back”.
The 24-year-old emphasized: “I have nothing more to hide, on the contrary: I would like all the other Belarusians to tell the truth as well. But it is very clear that those who live in Belarus cannot do this easily. If you say something critical, you will immediately go to jail, ”said Timanovskaya.
After a conflict with sports officials at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Timanovskaya was supposed to be returned to her home country against her will, which is ruled authoritarian by President Alexander Lukashenko. She then turned to the Japanese police and the IOC. She is currently in Poland, which issued her a humanitarian visa.
Bad time
After the presidential election on August 9, 2020, which was widely regarded as falsified, there were mass demonstrations against Lukashenko in the ex-Soviet republic. Athletes were also affected by the government's massive crackdown on opposition and dissenters.
“After August 9th, it was a difficult time for me personally. I had to take a break for two weeks. I was having some kind of depression at the time, so I tried not to expose myself to negative news. But then of course I saw how the people who were just at a demonstration were released, how they were beaten, how they were sent to prison, ”said Timanovskaya.
She was afraid of the consequences if she did something wrong or said: “Throughout the year I tried to formulate everything in such a way that I didn't say anything political.”
#Belarusian #Olympic sprinter Krystsina #Tsimanouskaya, who landed safely in #Warsaw on Wednesday night from #Vienna, has stated that she is glad to be safe in #Poland, and announced she wants to stay in the country.
More: https://t.co/gFo4WY2D8t pic.twitter.com/zC2DDbBJjQ
– Poland In (@Polandin_com) August 5, 2021
