Kenyan athlete Evans Kibet says he was duped into joining the Russian army and going to Ukraine

With tears in his eyes, a young Kenyan athlete in Ukraine begging not to be sent back to Russia.

Im I will die there, Ev Evans Kibet says on Wednesday, shaking his hands towards the invisible interviewer in the video published by the Ukrainian Army Brigade.

36 -year -old war prisoner wears a red sports ball. Brigade’s flag was fixed behind him.

Increased long -distance runner says he was deceived to join the Russian army and desperate to go home to see his 16 -year -old daughter.

In a Facebook post that accompanies the video, 57. separate motor infantry brigade, how this is an example of how Russia behaves in foreign recruitment, but “the enemy fights next to the enemy, so that the words and tears are appropriate for your discretion,” he said.

Brigade, the interview with the consent of the interview, but the BBC did not verify it, he said. Although recruitment from abroad in the Russian Army has not been heard, this is a rare example of a prisoners who speaks in the video.

Somali citizens, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cuba and Sri Lanka, as well as others, Ukraine’s prisoners of war are organized in Petro Yatsenko, a spokesman for the treatment of Ukraine’s war prisoners.

“Most of these individuals come from the poor countries and result in the Russian side in different ways. Some are deceived – the promised works in factories – others are voluntarily participating in the war. It is important to understand that very few are caught alive, it is important to understand that most of them have been killed or seriously injured.”

When he returned to Kenya, Kibet’s family and friends are in shock for seeing them.

After a heavy sigh and long pause, his cousin Edith Chesoi told BBC that he had played the video over and over again.

“I was very traumatized. I didn’t sleep at night. I don’t even know what to say.”

Isaac Kipyego, the younger brother of Kibet, described him as a “a humble man and a man with a few words” and a column and consultant to the rest of the family.

They know him as someone who is dedicated to his sport.

Orum I love running, I love to run, Kib Kibet says in the Ukrainian video. And a Russian who was unaware of him could have taken him to recruitment.

Kibet had built his life around athletics, and raised from many Kenyan villages to global recognition.

A farmer from the Elgon Mountain in Western Kenya grew up in the family.

Kibet received training in Iten, the famous high altitude town for producing Olympic and world champions, but never reached this status in a competitive area. Instead, according to the family and friends, he competed in less known 10KM and half marathon road races in Europe and Asia.

“Kibet is running since his childhood, his younger brother said. “Always talented. Escape was his life.”

However, in defining the sports identity, longing did not give the financial breakthrough.

Friends say Kibet is financially fighting.

In March, an educational partner Elias Ktirtum asked him to help his competition in Poland, but the team was already full.

“I think it’s like this in Russia,” Ktirtum said to the BBC.

Later in the year, when a sports agency offered him a trip to Russia to participate in the races, Kibet had the opportunity. BBC’s calls for agency to verify this were not received.

“He was very excited when he told me he would compete in Russia.” He said. “Even I was happy for him. We had high expectations.”

At the end of July, his cousin Ms. Chesoi, who accompanied the bus park on the first leg of the journey, said only a “small suitcase”.

He told the Kibet family that he was going to go for only two weeks.

In the video taken in Ukraine, Kibet says he went to Russia as a visitor, not for “military work”.

Then, two weeks later, the host asked him if he wanted to stay longer.

“I said: ‘Yes, but the problem is full of my visa period.’ He said: ‘No, I can do something for you.’ ‘And then he promised Kibet a job.

“He came with some articles written in Russian in the evening. He said to me:” This is what I want you to do. “

“I didn’t know it was a military job.”

Kibet said he later signed the newspapers and received the man’s phone and passport.

“And everything went wrong … This signature ruined my life.”

According to Kibet, some other people appeared and told him to get on a car. Then they lasted about seven hours.

“I found myself in a military camp.”

Kibet said he had registered to be in the army and had no other option.

“He said to me: ‘Either you go to fight or we will kill you.’ ‘

He said he was watching one -week basic training and showing how to handle an automatic rifle. None of his commanders spoke English, so the instructions came from repulsive and gestures.

Kibet insisted that he never went into war and then did not think about what his first mission would be, abandoned his equipment and escaped, and for two days he passed a forest near Vovchansk in the northeast Kharkiv region of Ukraine.

Later, he approached some Ukrainian soldiers.

“I went there when my hands went up,” he says, repeating the camera gesture.

“I said: ‘I’m a Keny, please don’t hit me’.

“Everyone pointed to me their guns, but I told them to calm them down. The commander came to me. They tied to me. He said to them: ‘No, I’m unarmed, I don’t want anything. I’m here to save my life.”

Although Kibet’s family is shocked on the video, there is some relief that Ukrainians are in the hands of the video.

“We think it is a little safe [with them] Instead of being in Russia, “his brother Mr Kipyego said.

The family wants Kenya to intervene. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet responded to the request for comments.

Ukrainian spokesman Yatsenko said, “If the government of the country is interested in the return of the government, Ukraine is open to negotiations about transferring it home.” He said.

However, if we talk about other prisoners of war, “Most African states showed little interest in the return of such citizens and did not want to get them back,” he added.

Kibet’s only priority for his loved ones is his safety.

“If he makes a mistake, let them forgive him. We just want him back,” his brother said.