A Belarusian court sentenced a Russian student to six years in prison, one year after she and her dissident journalist partner were detained and arrested on a Ryanair flight. Sofia Sapega and Roman Protasevich were on their way to Lithuania when their flight was forced to land in Minsk.
The case prompted widespread condemnation and new sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko’s government. She was found guilty of inciting social enmity and discord by the court.She was also found guilty of illegally gathering and disseminating information about an unnamed person’s private life without his permission.The anger was sparked by Mr Lukashenko’s election to a sixth term in office in a rigged presidential election, according to the opposition.
Mr. Lukashenko denied the election was rigged and retaliated against the opposition, whose leaders were imprisoned or forced to flee the country.
Mr. Lukashenko denied the election was rigged and retaliated against the opposition, whose leaders were imprisoned or forced to flee the country.
Mr Protasevich had fled Belarus in 2019 and had only known Ms Sapega for about six months when they were apprehended.
He has yet to stand trial, and the status of the investigation into him is unknown.
The opposition activist was on Belarus’s “most wanted” list. However, the decision to declare a bomb threat on board his flight across Europe in May 2021 stunned the world.
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