A critic of Lukashenko’s regime, Cimanouska, began to worry about her future when, on Sunday, August 1, Belarusian officials took her to Tokyo Airport against her will, from where she was to return to Minsk.
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“Before I went to the airport, a psychologist came to see me. He told me that I would end up in a psychiatric hospital in Belarus with rapists, murderers and people who had attempted suicide. He wanted to see me cry and start screaming, but I didn’t want to give him such joy, “Cimanouská describes in an interview.
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She described this situation as a turning point in when she decided to act. She realized that at that moment, there was no way back for her, because the regime was trying to portray her as crazy.
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Krsycina Cimanouská with the flag of independent Belarus and the inscription I just want to run to a meeting in Szczecin, Poland
Photo: Profimedia.cz
“I called my husband to get ready to leave Belarus. Then I talked to people from the organization of Belarusian sports solidarity. They confirmed to me that if I returned, I would end up in prison or psychiatry and that if I decided to run away, they would help me, “the athlete continued.
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On the way to the airport, she “conducted” her husband’s escape over the phone. She also talked to her grandmother, according to her a big fan of Lukashenko, who confirmed to her that the Belarusian media portrayed her as crazy and that she should not return.
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Brad Pitt helped
Before arriving at the airport, Cimanouská had to improvise. Using a translator, she learned how to say in Japanese, “Help me, he will take me against my will,” and she contacted the police at the airport.
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“I remembered Hollywood movies and kept a cool head. Brad Pitt helped me in Danny’s teammates. I learned from him how to fool the system. I originally wanted to tear my passport, but it was clear to me that it would not help, “Cimanouská explained.
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Furthermore, the story had a relatively happy ending for her. Japanese police called the International Olympic Committee and provided protection. The next day, Cimanous moved to the Polish embassy, where she applied for a humanitarian visa. She later flew to Vienna, from where she moved to Warsaw.
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When Ynetnews asked who wanted to capture her, the sprinter answered without hesitation: “Only one man (Lukashenko) issues orders in Minsk.”
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In response to the case of Cimanouska, the heptathlete Jana Maximová and her husband, the decathlon fighter Andrei Kravchenko, also decided not to return to their homeland from Germany. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) then excluded Belarusian coaches Yuri Mojsevich and Artur Sumak from the Tokyo Games, who accompanied Cimanouska to the airport.
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The head of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, called the whole story shameful.
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