Andrei Sannikau - On the Situation with Tsimanouskaya: The Regime Is in a Panic

The deed of the Belarusian athlete is worthy of respect.

Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya received a Polish humanitarian visa. Earlier, it was reported that her husband Arsen Zdanevich, together with the child, left for the territory of Ukraine.

The story of a member of the Belarusian Olympic team in Tokyo hit the top of all world news since Sunday evening. The fact is that the coaches of the Belarusian national team forced the 200 meters runner to take part in the 4x400 relay, for which Tsimanouskaya was not ready. And an urgent replacement was needed by the coaching staff of the Belarusian team after two participants in the relay could not go to the Olympics because the officials of the National Olympic Committee failed to send them for doping tests in time.

Tsimanouskaya expressed indignation on social networks because no one spoke to her in advance and did not explain the situation. At the Tokyo airport, Krystsina Tsimanouskaya turned to the International Olympic Committee with a request to help her, and soon several EU countries announced their readiness to grant her political asylum.

"I think her act is worthy of respect."

Coordinator of the European Belarus civil campaign Andrei Sannikau calls everything that happened to Krystsina Tsimanouskaya in Tokyo a logical continuation of the policy of the Lukashenka regime.

In a commentary for the Russian service of the Voice of America, he noted: "All this was expected and predictable. Now the regime is in a panic, it is trying to save itself, and, therefore, all the stupid officials who have long been the backbone of the regime, act as they can.

There was no mistake, this is their professional qualities in all their glory because the "code of honor" of these officials says that you need to serve the "master," not sports, not culture, not industry, and not science."

Sannikau explains the failures of the Belarusian Olympians in Tokyo by the fact that sports in the country have actually been destroyed by the efforts of Lukashenka. “And game sports, which require the use of brains, are in a disastrous state. It is believed that it is easier to simply eliminate clubs than to do something with them. And the entire system is based on this. After all, those who are engaged in individual sports achieve something, as it does not require much investment," the coordinator of the European Belarus civil campaign thinks.

The Voice of America interlocutor assesses the decision of Krystsina Tsimanouskaya not to return to Belarus under the current conditions as positive. “This suggests that she is not a destroyed person, not a slave. I saw that, in August last year, she posted on her Instagram a text on behalf of Belarusian athletes against the violence committed by the authorities.

And I believe that her act is worthy of respect because she retained her dignity, and this is the most important thing. Now it will not be easy for her, she is starting a new life, but, if you look at how well the world reacted to her act and how many people both in the official structures and in the unofficial ones wanted to help her and help her, it’s very great,” Andrei Sannikau emphasizes.