MOSCOW (Reuters) - Belarus basketball star Yelena Leuchanka has twice represented her country at the Olympic Games, but until this year she had always stayed out of politics. That changed abruptly when her country was engulfed by protests.When she joined a street demonstration against President Alexander Lukashenko, one of the country’s best known athletes found herself arrested and jailed in a lice-ridden cell. Released after 15 days, the former center who played four seasons in the U.S. Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has added her name to an open letter of protest signed by nearly 1,000 Belarusian sports figures. “I want us to be free in a new Belarus, where we can freely express our opinions and not be afraid to be fired, imprisoned, fined, beaten or intimidated for it,” the 37-year-old Leuchanka told Reuters. The open letter condemns the Aug. 9 presidential election won by Lukashenko as fraudulent and demands a re-run. It calls for the release of all those detained during more than 11 weeks of street protests and strikes against the veteran leader. The athletes - including freestyle skier Hanna Huskova, who was the 2018 Olympic champion in aerials, and swimmer Aliaksandra Herasimenia, a three-time Olympic medallist - say they will stick together. “If information emerges about attempts to pressure the sports representatives who have signed this letter, or threats to sack them or infringe their rights, all the athletes will act in solidarity including by potentially refusing to turn out for the national team,” the letter says. The Belarusian Olympic Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.