Retired French Tourist Has Been in Jail for Three Months for Taking Photo of a Train
A retired French tourist has spent three months in prison for taking a photo of a train while on holiday — with his worried family receiving no information about him or his whereabouts since his arrest.
French tourist Boris and his wife traveled to Belarus for a holiday in April to visit some relatives, but he was arrested during their trip. According to multiple news reports, Boris, a railway enthusiast, decided to explore the local area during the trip with his wife and took a photo of a train to share with friends back home.
Belarusian news outlet Nasha Niva reports that according to Boris’ cousin Julien Rizet, as he was taking photos of the train, he was also being followed and filmed by a drone. Soon afterward, Boris was detained by police for no reason other than taking the photo of the train. The family says that Boris has now spent three months in a Belarusian detention center and they have received no news from him since his arrest.
Boris’s family and friends have appealed to the Elysee Palace, the French Interior and Foreign Ministries, senators, parliamentarians, embassies, and various non-governmental organizations back in France. Rizet says that, in response, they have only received confirmation that their appeals about Boris have been received and messages stating that the matter is being dealt with.
Rizet says the family has never received any official documents regarding Boris’s detention, including information about where he is being held, the conditions of his confinement, or whether he has access to a lawyer. His relatives hope that increased publicity will prevent him from being forgotten and help secure his release. Boris reportedly served for many years as an officer in the French Army before later working as an engineer in the energy sector. Since childhood, he has had a deep interest in trains and has published articles for specialized railway magazines.
According to Belarusian news outlet Belsat, this is not the first case involving foreign railway enthusiasts who have faced jail after photographing trains while visiting the country. Japanese tourist Kiy Terui came to Belarus in December 2024 to photograph trains and railways, and was jailed for 200 days. Meanwhile, in March 2025, Japanese tourist and former teacher Masatoshi Nakanishi was sentenced to seven years in prison for photographing military sites and infrastructure near Belarus’ border with Ukraine. However, Nakanishi was released in December of the same year.
Image creditsHeader photo licensed via Depositphotos.
