Kravchenko, who won silver in the doubles in Beijing in 2008 and his wife, runner Yana Maksimova, choose to leave Belarus just days after sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya also sought asylum in another country.

Timanovskaya, who competed in the Olympics in Tokyo, states that she was kidnapped by her own squad after she criticized her coaches on social media.

She has now been granted asylum in Poland.

"The regime is crazy"

- I think Kristina in this situation does the right thing by fleeing.

Because I do not know what will happen when she returns to Belarus.

Maybe prison, maybe psychiatric clinic.

This regime is crazy and very dangerous, says Andrei Kravchenko.

He now chooses to leave Belarus himself because he does not feel safe there.

- I have fought against the regime for a year, went on hunger strike, been in prison and given many interviews.

I am not good for the regime and I think that after the Olympics they may put me in prison, says Kravchenko.

Now he will live with his family in Germany, and continue to work for democracy in Belarus from there.

- But I do not feel safe, I have anxiety syndrome.

I read the news from Belarus and want to cry.

Athletes under strict control

Belarusian athletes are very tightly controlled by their sports federations and by extension the regime.

This is what Martin Uggla, chairman of the Eastern Group for Democracy and Human Rights, says.

- When you then in any way criticize the management, you risk being punished very severely, not only by getting rid of your future sports opportunities in the country but even suffer from legal persecution, he says.

The fact that Belarus and other authoritarian regimes are allowed to compete in the Olympics gives dictatorships an opportunity to take their place, which they are usually denied, Martin Uggla continues.

- The sports movement has for many years ignored the situation around democracy and human rights.

Now the sports movement has awakened in recent years and this problem has been raised.

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Three questions for the expert: This is what the threat to Belarusian athletes looks like Photo: SVT / AP / TT