Poland has granted a humanitarian visa to Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, a Belarusian Olympic athlete who claimed her team tried to force her to leave Japan, Poland’s deputy foreign minister said Monday.
Tsimanouskaya “is already in direct contact with Polish diplomats in Tokyo. She has received a humanitarian visa. Poland will do whatever is necessary to help her to continue her sporting career,” Marcin Przydacz wrote on Twitter.
Przydacz said Tsimanouskaya had turned to Poland for help out of her “very difficult” situation and was “safe on the grounds of our embassy” in Tokyo, news channel TVN24 reported.
“Poland offers support to Belarusian citizens who for political reasons either want to leave Belarusian territory or do not want to return to Belarus,” he said.
Foreign ministry officials were quoted by Polish media saying they expected the athlete to travel to Poland this week.
