Behind the scenes of the Belarusian Olympic athlete "Speed Asylum" August 9, 20:30
The asylum drama of Belarusian track and field representative Christina Chimanouskaya who participated in the Tokyo Olympics.
He refused to return to Japan at Haneda Airport on the 1st of this month, and arrived in Poland on the 5th, which was an unusual speed.
I was the first to be informed of the intention of the athlete's asylum by a Belarusian acquaintance, and I covered the whole story.
Behind the scenes of "speed asylum" was a network of people who fled Belarus due to persecution by the administration.
(Keita Machida, Director of the International Program Department)
Chimanous Kaya who sought protection from a "stranger man"
After 7:20 pm on August 1, I received a call from a Belarusian living in Japan.
"Go to the airport now. A Belarusian player is about to be taken away."
I immediately headed to Haneda Airport.
In fact, for the past year, I have been interviewing Belarus, where citizens' protests against the administration continue.
I arrived at the international lobby around 7:50.
Chimanouskaya was with several police officers and volunteer staff at the airport.
But a police officer said, "She seems to be seeking protection, but I don't know if she really needs it."
When I heard that Chimanouskaya was lined up at the check-in counter, he called out to the police officer who was on the alert and asked for help.
It wasn't different from the other players, and the police officer said, "I don't know what kind of danger I'm at."
As soon as I told Chimanouskaya that she was a journalist who had interviewed Belarus in English, she began to elaborate on the situation.
The first thing I said was, "The duo who brought me to the airport are pretending to be coaches, but I'm not familiar with them." I want you to keep it away to feel it. "
One of the duo's guys, who was watching her interaction with me by her side, advised her to check in early because it was okay.
When I told the police officer what she had told her, the police officer surrounded her and made a distance with the men.
The men disappeared towards the departure gate.
When the men disappeared, Chimanouskaya regained some composure and began to talk about the details.
Chimanous Kaya
"I was forced to participate in the 1600m relay, which I had never participated in, and if I posted on Instagram on the 30th that I was dissatisfied with the decision, I would be forced to cancel the tomorrow and return to Japan. It's not safe to go back to the Olympic Village and I can't go back to Belarus, so I'm going to go into exile. "
Her will was firm and she had already consulted with her husband (asylum from Belarus to Ukraine on the same day) and decided.
However, I was worried that I didn't know how to go into exile.
Chimanouskaya
"I want to go to the Austrian embassy, where my trainer was born, for asylum procedures tomorrow, but a trainer who will take me to the embassy will come out of the Olympic Village. I don't know. What should I do by myself ... "
Around 9 pm, police officers took her to the police box in the airport to hear more about the situation.
I broke up with her there, but I kept in touch with a Belarusian I knew and continued to follow her information thereafter.
After 9 pm, a Belarusian Japanese interpreter rushed to the police box to help her.
And before midnight, I learned that Belarus' neighbor Poland was preparing to accept asylum, and that the Polish embassy in Japan had put in place a system to protect her.
A network of people fleeing Belarus behind the scenes
A network of people who fled Belarus was heavily involved in "speed asylum."
Belarus became independent 30 years ago due to the collapse of the former Soviet Union.
President Lukashenko, who has led the country for 27 years, has tightened control over the media and thoroughly cracked down on rebels.
It has been criticized by the West as "the last dictator in Europe".
In the presidential election in August last year, suspicions of "there was fraud in the election" were raised, and large-scale public protests took place, and security forces violently suppressed the citizens.
The Lukashenko administration has arrested opponents and their supporters one after another.
Many people fled Belarus in search of personal safety and networked around the world.
The network started working around 7 pm on the 1st.
Just before Chimanouskaya heads to the airport, the BSSF = Belarusian Sports Solidarity Fund (a Lithuanian-based organization working to protect the human rights of Belarusian athletes, many of whom have fled Belarus) to Chimanouskaya The player called for help just before heading to the airport.
7:21 pm.
BSSF communicates that she is asking for help on an SNS called Telegram.
"A representative of the Belarusian team has repatriated the player, an urgent ticket has been issued, and he is currently heading to the airport with his luggage."
Around the same time, BSSF informed NAU = National Anti-Crisis Management, an anti-government organization led by former Belarusian diplomat Pavel Ratushka in exile in Poland.
NAU will soon move to find an asylum destination.
After contacting a Polish government official, it was decided after 11:00 pm that he would consent to asylum and protect the Polish embassy in Japan.
NAU seeks help from the Belarusian community in Japan in parallel with the search for asylum.
The Belarusian interpreter who was contacted rushed to the police box to provide mental support to Chimanouskaya, and another Belarusian resident in Japan gave a detailed explanation to the police over the phone.
Former Belarusian diplomat decided asylum
Mr. Pavel Ratushka, the representative of NAU, who searched for the asylum destination of Chimanouskaya.
Mr. Ratushka was the ambassador to France, the ambassador to Poland and the Minister of Culture in Belarus, but was exiled to Poland last September after being threatened by the administration to "arrest".
Mr. Ratushka made use of his ambassador's network to contact Austria, which she wanted, and then the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He also contacted Polish government officials in exile.
The person who called was the Polish Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, who was an old friend of mine.
When he asked for the protection of Chimanous Kaya, he promised to "take immediate action" on the phone.
Mr. Ratushka
"The Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs immediately responded positively and was in contact the night and the next morning. He probably reported this situation to the Prime Minister, and from the government. I was given the appropriate instructions. It was unexpected and gratifying that every government office moved quickly. "
Behind the scenes is a sense of crisis over the current Belarusian administration
Mr. Ratushka says he rushed to exile Chimanouskaya because he was at risk of persecution by the current Belarusian administration when he returned to the country.
Mr.
Ratushka "The audio we got (the coach threatening Chimanouskaya) showed that if she returned to Belarus it would be very bad. Removed from the national team and the sports federation. , Denied participation in international conventions, and could be charged with administrative and criminal charges. This may seem unlikely, but unfortunately this is the last dictator in Europe. Is the current state of Belarus, which is governed by
Poland is actively accepting people who have fled Belarus from a humanitarian standpoint.
According to Polish media, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued visas to nearly 180,000 Belarusians over the past year (June last year to July this year), and Mr. Ratushka has escaped most of these visas from persecution. It is said that it was acquired for the purpose.
However, those who fled the country are still threatened by the administration, and Mr. Ratushka says he has a strong sense of mission to ensure the safety of those people.
Mr. Ratushka
"There are four criminal cases against me. The last one is the firing squad. I am threatened with murder (from Belarusian security authorities) every day. "Put me in the trunk of a car and bring me to Belarus for trial." There is a threat of terrorism (assassinated in the city) and there is a risk of being taken to Belarus. Like everyone, I'm worried, but that doesn't stop my fight, because too many people are in prison and too many suffer. I'm free because I'm lucky, so I want to keep fighting. "
“We have to build a new life in a new country”
Chimanouskaya arrived in exile Poland on the 5th.
He also joined his husband, Arseny Zdanibich, who had been exiled from Belarus via Ukraine.
The Polish government has also issued a humanitarian visa to Mr. Arseny.
Chimanouskaya responded to an interview on the 8th when the Olympics closed.
It is said that he came to Poland and was able to spend his time with peace of mind.
Chimanouskaya
"If I had returned to Belarus, my career as an athlete would have ended on the spot. Belarusian state media said that I had" mental problems "and" betrayed the people. " I was sent to a psychiatric hospital or prison, and of course I think I had lost all my titles. At this point, of course, the sudden change in my life is the best thing. I'm worried. In a way, I can say "nothing left", and now it's time to work with my husband to build a new life in a new country. "
He says he wants to meet his parents and grandparents in Belarus someday.
Chimanouskaya
"I received a threatening phone call to my parents and grandparents on the 1st, and I felt the danger of my life. I kept in touch with them all the time, and it seems that I and my husband are safe for now. I am planning to allow my parents to come to Poland someday. I hope I can see them someday. "
Finally, he said with a gentle smile, "I want to support the people of Belarus and those who are being cracked down by continuing to run. I want to participate in the next Olympics."
Chimanouskaya said he never thought he would be in exile until he complained that he had decided to participate on Instagram on July 30th.
The asylum seekers, who struggled behind the scenes of the unusual early visa issuance, said that it was such a quick and big move because they felt the crisis of "I don't know what's going on with me tomorrow." thought.
I would like to continue to cover and disseminate information about the situation in Belarus.
Keita Machida,
Director,
Political Economy and International Program Department
Joined in 2013
Covers the problems of discrimination and violence
occurring all over the world
Belarus A young man who challenges huge power with the power of the Internet
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