Roman Protasevich, the founder of the oppositional Telegram channel Nexta, was charged with a new, tougher charge in the Minsk Regional Court, RIA Novosti reports . Protasevich was accused of re-leading an extremist formation. The same charge was brought against another person involved in the Nexta case, Jan Rudik, who is abroad.
The new article of the charge (Part 2, Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code) provides for up to ten years in prison. According to the investigation, Protasevich was the editor-in-chief of Nexta in May-September 2020 and, together with other defendants, led this “extremist formation”. But then he moved from Warsaw to Vilnius and until May 2021 led another “extremist formation” – the Telegram channel and social networks “Belarus of the Brain”, promoting the opposition agenda there. Thus, according to the prosecution, Protasevich again led the extremist formation.
Rudik is also accused of this, who, according to the case file, after working at Nexta from June 2021 to May 2022 (after the arrest of Protasevich) led Belarus Brain.
“During the court hearing, it became necessary to present Protasevich with a more serious charge compared to the one previously brought and significantly different from it,” the state prosecutor explained.
The court adjourned until April 19, so that Protasevich could familiarize himself with the new charge. After that, a new interrogation in court awaits him.
Roman Protasevich was under investigation along with his Russian girlfriend Sophia Sapega. To arrest the couple, the Belarusian authorities carried out a whole special operation that caused an international scandal. On May 23, a Ryanair plane en route from Athens to Vilnius landed at Minsk Airport after receiving a report of a mine attack. On behalf of Alexander Lukashenko, a fighter jet was raised into the sky to escort a passenger plane. Lukashenka personally gave the command to land the plane.
Roman Protasevich, the founder of the opposition Telegram channel Nexta, and Sofia Sapieha were on board the plane. They were arrested.
Protasevich was accused of inciting social hatred, organizing riots and organizing actions that grossly violate public order. And Sofya Sapega was charged with inciting social hatred, as well as participating in mass riots.
Protasevich and Sapieha began to cooperate with the investigation and were released under house arrest. Roman Protasevich has repeatedly spoken in the Belarusian state media. On the air of the ONT TV channel, he said that he respects Alexander Lukashenko and considers him "a man with balls of steel." Protasevich also criticized the Belarusian oppositionists. In the frame, the journalist appeared with traces of handcuffs, and his relatives expressed doubts that he spoke of his own free will.