Profile of Belarus leader Lukashenko as athlete Tsimanouskaya seeks exile in Poland

Record ID: 1630210

  • Title: Profile of Belarus leader Lukashenko as athlete Tsimanouskaya seeks exile in Poland
  • Date: 2nd August 2021
  • Summary: TVER REGION, RUSSIA (FILE - JUNE 30, 2020) (RUSSIAN POOL) PUTIN AND LUKASHENKO WALKING BEHIND PROCESSION HOLDING FLOWERS PUTIN AND LUKASHENKO TALKING PUTIN AND LUKASHENKO LAYING FLOWERS AT WW2 MONUMENT MONUMENT
  • Embargoed: 16th August 2021 14:03
  • Keywords: Krystsina Tsimanouskaya President Alexander Lukashenko Tokyo Olympics contested 2020 presidential election
  • Location: MINSK AND MINSK REGION, BELARUS / MOSCOW AND SOCHI AND TVER REGION, RUSSIA
  • City: MINSK AND MINSK REGION, BELARUS / MOSCOW AND SOCHI AND TVER REGION, RUSSIA
  • Country: Belarus
  • Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA004EOM6J47
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:An incident involving a Belarusian Olympic athlete who took refuge in the Polish embassy in Tokyo on Monday (August 2) has renewed attention on the political discord in Belarus, a former Soviet state that is run by President Alexander Lukashenko.
    A former state-farm boss, Lukashenko has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, jailing opponents and muzzling independent media while offering generous welfare and pensions to his citizens on the back of Russian subsidies.
    Lukashenko, 66, has faced street protests following a contested presidential election in August 2020. Belarus has arrested thousands of protesters, and rights groups say hundreds were abused or tortured in detention, which Minsk denies.
    Nearly all major opposition figures are now imprisoned or in exile.
    Russia has maintained close military and economic ties with its ally Belarus, even as Western countries have ostracised the country since Lukashenko cracked down on mass protests.
    On Sunday (August 1), sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who was due to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, refused to board a flight after saying she had been taken to the airport by her team against her wishes.
    She refused to board the flight, telling Reuters: "I will not return to Belarus."
    She has since been granted a humanitarian visa by Poland.
    (Production: Tara Oakes, Vin Shahrestani)
  • Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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