Nexta co-founder Protasevich pardoned in Belarus
Roman Protasevich, an opposition journalist and one of the founders of the Nexta Telegram channel, who was sentenced by the Belarusian regime to 8 years in prison, has been pardoned.
Source: Belta, a Belarusian state-owned news outlet, quoting Protasevich
Quote: "Literally, I have just signed all the relevant documents that I have been pardoned. This is, of course, just great news."
Details: As is known, after his arrest, Protasevich began to closely cooperate with the authorities and said he regretted his former opposition activities. He was released under house arrest.
The regime of Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, previously found Roman Protasevich guilty of "organising mass riots, public calls for acts of terrorism, leading an extremist group, slandering and insulting the president", as well as other crimes.
Protasevich's girlfriend, Russian Sofiia Sapega, was sentenced to 6 years in prison. She pleaded guilty, testified against her colleagues and expected to be pardoned, but Lukashenko refused to pardon her. After his arrest, Protasevich talked about ending relations with Sapega.
On 12 April 2023, it became known that the convicted Sapega agreed to be extradited to Russia for possible further punishment. The Presnensky Court of Moscow is to consider the issue of her extradition on 24 May.
Two other defendants in the Nexta case, Yan Rudyk and Stepan Putiol, were sentenced in absentia to 19 and 20 years in prison respectively.
Background:
- On 23 May 2021, on the instructions of Alexander Lukashenko, a Belarusian fighter jet scrambled so as to land an Athens-Vilnius Ryanair flight carrying Roman Protasevich in Minsk. Protasevich and his girlfriend were detained.
- This detention provoked a sharp reaction from the world. On 24 May 2021, EU heads of state and government decided to increase sanctions pressure on self-proclaimed President Lukashenko and ordered a ban on airlines from Belarus using EU airspace for both direct and transit flights. The EU Air Traffic Agency recommended that civilian planes bypass Belarus via the Baltic States.
- The Belarusian state-owned TV channel ONT broadcast an "interview" with Protasevich, in which he allegedly "admitted his guilt" and said that he "felt fine". Human rights activists and Protasevich's family said they believed the oppositionist had been tortured.
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