In Belarus, a French retired military officer who is fond of trains has been arrested. He has been in pre-trial detention for three months now
A trip with his wife to her relatives in Belarus ended in detention for the Frenchman Boris. His relatives do not have precise information about his exact whereabouts, the conditions of his detention, his state of health, or whether he has access to a lawyer.
The Frenchman Boris served for many years as an officer in the French army, and later continued his career as an engineer in the energy sector. He is fond of music, but his main interest since childhood has been trains. He even wrote several articles about them for specialized magazines.
In April 2026, Boris, together with his wife, came to Belarus on a tourist trip to visit her family.
But during this trip, something happened that the family could not foresee. Boris was detained, and for the fourth month now, according to his relatives, they have no official information about his exact whereabouts, the conditions of his detention, or whether he has access to a lawyer.
Julien Rizet, Boris's cousin, spoke on social media about the circumstances of the trip and detention.
According to Julien Rizet, while in Belarus, Boris went to explore the surroundings and photograph a train to later discuss it with his friends, who are also interested in railways.
Rizet claims that at that moment, Boris was allegedly being watched and filmed by a drone. Soon after, the Frenchman was detained by the police. His cousin believes that this happened without reason.
Since then, according to Julien, the family has had no news from Boris.
Boris's family and friends appealed to the Élysée Palace, the French Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, senators, parliamentarians, embassies, and various non-governmental organizations. According to Julien, in response, they only received confirmations that their appeals had been received and messages stating that the matter was being handled.
However, as his cousin claims, the family has still not received official documents regarding Boris's detention.
His relatives hope that publicity will help move the situation forward, prevent Boris from being forgotten, and help him receive the necessary protection.
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