Belarus Pardons Journalist Roman Pratasevich

Facts

• On Monday, the Belarusian government pardoned Roman Protasevich, an opposition activist, who was arrested in 2021 after the government forced his Ryanair overflight to land in Minsk. Protasevich had earlier this month been sentenced to eight years in prison.¹
• Protasevich told reporters on Monday that he had just signed the documents stating that he had been pardoned, according to the country's state-run news agency, BELTA. 'This is, of course, great news,' he said.²
• Protasevich was the editor at Nexta, a news channel on the Telegram messaging app that was instrumental in organizing mass protests against the regime following the 2020 presidential election that the opposition and Western governments denounced as rigged. Protasevich's dramatic arrest drew international attention.³
• The exact circumstances of Protasevich's arrest and treatment afterwards are unclear, but it is believed that he was coerced into making confessions and apologetic statements on state TV. Some opponents of the regime have accused him of collaborating with the authorities.⁴
• When Polish officials investigated the incident in which the regime detained Protasevich, Belarus was accused of committing an 'act of state terrorism.'⁵

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²UPI, ³US News & World Report, ⁴BBC News and ⁵POLITICO.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by POLITICO. Protasevich has clearly been worked on by the security service. After his arrest he was coerced into making confessions and apologetic statements on state TV. His tearful prime-time appearances were the result of abuse, torture, and moral pressure threats suffered in captivity. The pardon is the result of his collaboration.
• Narrative B, as provided by Belarusian Telegraph Agency. Protasevich had a fair trial and was rightly found guilty of making public appeals for seizing power, committing acts of terrorism, and slandering the president. It is only through Lukashenko's generosity that he has been granted a pardon, as Protasevich has, in his own words, admitted his mistakes and stated that he can mend his ways.