Roman Protasevich, the former chief editor of Telegram channel NEXTA, has revealed that he had been granted free pardon, BelTA reports.
Screenshot: YouTube
“Just moments ago I signed all the papers that grant me free pardon. This is, of course, brilliant news. <…> Above all, I am grateful to the country and the president personally for this decision,” he said.
A court in Belarus sentenced Roman Protasevich to 8 years in prison on 3 May. The Belarusian Prosecutor’s office requested 10 years for Protasevich. He was found guilty of insults and libel towards Alyaksandar Lukashenka, the Belarusian president, inciting social enmity and hatred, as well as managing an extremist organisation.
Stsiapan Putsila, the founder of NEXTA, was sentenced to 20 years behind bars, while a former editor of the channel Yan Rudik was sentenced to 19 years.
Protasevich was charged with managing an extremist organisation in April. NEXTA is declared “extremist” in Belarus, and Roman is included in the country’s list of terrorists.
On 23 May 2021, the Belarusian law enforcement arrested Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, Russian national Sofia Sapega, after their Ryanair flight was forced to land in Minsk.
On 6 May, a court in Belarus’ Grodno sentenced Sapega to six years behind bars for “inciting hatred”. She was also found guilty of illegally collecting and distributing personal data.
