Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich, who was arrested in 2021 after his Ryanair flight was forced to land in Minsk, has been pardoned by Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Protasevich, a critic of the regime, was arrested along with his girlfriend Sofia Sapega. He was sentenced to eight years in prison on terrorism charges, while Sapega received a six-year sentence.
The arrests were widely criticised, and Protasevich’s confession in a staged interview raised concerns about his treatment. Protasevich was formerly the editor of the opposition news channel Nexta, which played a role in mobilising protests during the 2020 Belarusian elections.
Sapega’s clemency application was not signed by Lukashenko. A court in Moscow will determine whether Sapega will serve the rest of her sentence in Russia or Belarus.