She loves her country, Belarus is her home, says athlete Kristina Timanowskaja. But: «For me there is no turning back. If you say something critical, you will immediately go to jail. ”
The Belarusian athlete Kristina Timanovskaya does not feel like a symbol of freedom after her escape.
“Perhaps 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, ”said the 24-year-old in the“ Zeit ”interview (Saturday).
Timanovskaya claims to have been brought back to her home country against her will after a conflict with sports officials at the Tokyo Olympics, 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.
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 9, 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.”
She loves her country, Belarus is her home. But: «For me there is no turning back. 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 be jailed immediately, ”said Timanovskaya.
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
