A retired French military serviceman named Boris has been detained in Belarus. According to his relatives, he has been held in custody for about three months, Nasha Niva reports.
According to the publication, the circumstances of the trip and the detention were described on social media by Julien Rizet, Boris’ cousin.
The family says it has no precise information about his whereabouts, health condition or access to a lawyer.
According to him, Boris traveled to Belarus with his wife in April 2026 to visit her relatives. During the trip, he went to explore the surrounding area and photograph a train. His cousin said the Frenchman had been interested in railways since childhood and had published articles in specialist magazines.
The relative claims that Boris was allegedly being monitored by a drone while taking photographs, after which he was detained by police officers. The family believes there were no grounds for his detention.
Since then, Boris’ relatives have not received any official documents confirming his detention.
The family has appealed to the Élysée Palace, France’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Interior, senators, members of parliament, diplomatic missions and non-governmental organizations. According to the relatives, they have received only acknowledgements that their appeals were registered and notifications that the case is being handled.
The family hopes that public attention will help draw attention to the situation, obtain information about the detainee and ensure that he has access to legal representation.
