Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich, arrested after forced Ryanair landing in 2021, reportedly pardoned

Belarusian opposition journalist Roman Protasevich, who was sentenced to eight years in prison earlier this month, has been pardoned, according to the state-run news agency Belta.

“Literally just now, I signed all of the paperwork on my pardoning. This is just wonderful news, of course,” Protasevich told journalists in Minsk.

Protasevich was previously convicted of publicly appealing for terrorism and the seizure of state power, insulting the president, knowingly spreading false information about Belarus, and other crimes.

Protasevich, who served as the head of the Telegram channel Nexta, was arrested in May 2021 after the Belarusian authorities forced the Ryanair flight he was taking from Athens to Vilnius to make an “emergency” landing in Minsk. After his arrest, he said in an interview that he was cooperating with investigators to “atone for the harm” he had “done to the country.” Protasevich’s parents called on viewers to regard his statements with skepticism, saying they were delivered under duress.