Belarusian Activist Protasevich Sentenced to 8 Years in Jail

story

May 03, 2023

Image copyright: Al Jazeera and News Agenciesstory last updated May 04, 2023

The Facts

Dissident journalist Roman Protasevich, 27, who stands accused of committing 1,586 crimes including organizing mass riots and calling for sanctions against Belarus, was sentenced by a Belarusian court on Tuesday to eight years in prison, BELTA news agency has reported.
In May 2021, Protasevich was onboard a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania that was suddenly diverted because of a false bomb alert. The plane landed in the Belarusian capital Minsk, where he was arrested along with his Russian girlfriend.

The Spin

Narrative A

Belarusian dissidents and opposition figures have expressed outrage over the long jail terms handed down on Wednesday to Protasevich and his two former colleagues. President Alexander Lukashenka has once again shown his disregard for justice by sentencing Protasevich on PressFreedomDay. The development also follows the jailing of the innocent Nobel Peace Prize winner and human-rights activist Ales Bialiatski, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in March.

Wall Street Journal

Narrative B

Protasevich and his co-conspirators were charged with directing the activities of the terrorist organization Nexta. The defendants have repeatedly incited social hatred and discord by blocking roads, coordinating street riots, and committing terrorist attacks on the railway and other elements of critical infrastructure. The defendants used their information resources to destabilize the situation in the territory of Belarus and radicalize protests from abroad.