Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian dictator, said that the sprinter who fled to the Olympics was convinced into accusing her handlers as KGB agents.Krystina Tsimanouskaya refused last week to board a plane at Tokyo Haneda Airport, saying she would be facing a prison sentence back in Belarus.On August 2, she was granted a Polish visa for humanitarian reasons.For more stories, visit Insider's homepage.Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian leader, claimed that the Olympic sprinter who fled Tokyo Games in an assassination bid was "manipulated" and "manipulated by her Polish "buddies."KrystsinaTsimanouskaya (24), refused to board a plane in Tokyo's Haneda airport. She told Japanese authorities she would be facing jail time in Belarus for complaining of her coaches."She wouldn’t do it herself. She was manipulated. She contacted her friends in Poland from Japan via Tokyo. She was told to run to a Japanese officer to shout that the people who dropped her off at airport were KGB agents.Lukashenko stated that there was no single special agent for Japan.Tsimanouskaya attacked her coaches via social media after she was entered into the 400m relay event for women with little notice and without training. According to Reuters, the sprinter claimed she was forced on a plane home because she spoke out about the "negligence (of) (her coaches") in an Instagram video.She told Zerkalo.io that she was afraid of being sent to jail in Belarus. "I don't fear that I will lose my job or be kicked out of our national team. My safety is my concern. It is unsafe for me to be in Belarus at the moment.Tsimanouskaya was granted a humanitarian visa by the Polish government on August 2.Continue the storyTsimanouskaya claimed that she would be imprisoned for criticizing her coaches. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), launched an investigation on August 3. Artur Shimak, a Belarusian Olympic coach, and Yury Maisevich were both kicked out by the IOC on August 6.Lukashenko also denied responsibility for Vitaly Shishov's death in a press conference. He was found dead in a park of Ukraine. According to The Guardian, Shishov was known for helping Belarusians escape persecution by Lukashenko's government.According to Reuters, Lukashenko stated that "(Shishov] was not one to us."The dramatic actions taken by Lukashenko's government to silence critics attracted attention earlier in the year.Belarusian authorities sent a fighter plane to intercept a Ryanair plane that was flying from Athens, Greece to Lithuania. The purpose of the flight was to hold Roman Protasevich (26), a prominent opponent to Lukashenko's regime. Protasevich was the co-founder and pilot of NEXTA. This anti-Lukashenko news station is based in Poland. He and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega were taken off the Ryanair plane to be detained.Lukashenko has ruled the country of eastern Europe with an iron fist over 26 years. He faked the 2020 election and declared that he had won 80% of the votes. This move sparked protests throughout the country.Insider has the original article.
