The Russian-controlled Belarusian authorities have sentenced Roman Protasevich, an opposition journalist and founder of the Nexta telegram channel, to eight years in a high security penal colony. He was taken into custody in the courtroom. This is reported by the Belarusian opposition media.
Protasevich is accused of plotting to seize power. He was detained in May 2021, when the plane of the low-cost Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius was placed on the territory of Belarus under the pretext of a terrorist attack on board. Subsequently, the International Civil Aviation Organization admitted that there was no threat to the plane, and the landing was made on the orders of the Belarusian special services in order to detain Protasevich.
After Protasevich was detained, some time later he was transferred to house arrest. He began to cooperate with the investigation and support the regime of the self-proclaimed President Alexander Lukashenko.
Also sentenced in absentia to 20 years, the founder of the telegram channel, Stepan Putil, and another defendant, Yan Rudik, were sentenced to 19 years in prison. They were found guilty, in particular, of public calls for the seizure of state power.
Source: Racurs
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