- Title: Police stand guard outside Polish embassy where Belarusian sought refuge
- Date: 3rd August 2021
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (AUGUST 3, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICE GUARDING POLISH EMBASSY WHERE BELARUSIAN ATHLETE, KRYSTINA TSIMANOUSKAYA, SOUGHT REFUGE POLISH FLAG AND EUROPEAN UNION FLAG FLYING POLISH FLAG MEDIA FILMING THE EMBASSY VARIOUS OF CAR AND BICYCLE ENTERING THE EMBASSY
- Embargoed: 17th August 2021 03:19
- Keywords: Belarus Krystina Tsimanouskaya Olympics Polish embassy Tokyo human rights
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001EOQ4XFR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A Belarusian athlete who took refuge in the Polish embassy in Tokyo after refusing her team's orders to fly home from the Olympic Games will travel to Poland on Wednesday (August 4), a group of her supporters said.
Sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya was granted a humanitarian visa by the Warsaw government. She had earlier refused to get on a flight home, saying she had been taken to the airport against her will by Belarusian officials because she had criticized her team's coaching staff.
The athlete arrived at the Polish embassy in Tokyo on Monday (August 2) and there was a police presence on Tuesday (August 3) morning amid continuous media interest.
A source at the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation, which supports athletes jailed or sidelined for their political views, said Tsimanouskaya planned to request asylum in Germany or Austria.
(Production: Martin Pollard, Afiq Satikin, Travis Teo) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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