Roman Protasevich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roman Protasevich
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| Роман Протасевич Раман Пратасевіч |
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Protasevich at a government press conference in June 2021
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| Born | 5 May 1995 Minsk, Belarus
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| Education | Belarusian State University (expelled) |
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| Years active | 2011–present |
| Organization | Nexta |
| Movement | Young Front |
Roman Protasevich (born 5 May 1995) is a Belarusian blogger and political activist. He was the main editor for the Telegram channels Nexta and Belarus of the Brain. These channels shared news and information, especially during protests in Belarus.
Protasevich and Sofia Sapega were arrested by Belarusian authorities on 23 May 2021. This happened after their flight, Ryanair Flight 4978, was made to land in Minsk. The order came from Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko because of a false bomb threat. On 3 May 2023, Protasevich was sentenced to eight years in prison. However, on 22 May 2023, he was pardoned and set free.
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About Roman Protasevich
Roman Protasevich was born on 5 May 1995 in Minsk, Belarus. He later moved to Poland in 2019.
His father was an officer in the Belarusian army. He lost his military rank and awards by a special order from President Alexander Lukashenko in May 2021. Protasevich's parents moved to Poland to be with him in August 2020.
Protasevich was in a relationship with Sofia Sapega, a Russian citizen. She was also held by Belarusian authorities on 23 May 2021. Their relationship ended, and Protasevich married another woman in May 2022.
His Work as an Activist
Early Activism in Belarus (2011–2019)
Protasevich has been an activist against the government since the early 2010s. He took part in protests and was arrested several times.
Since 2011, he was a member of the Young Front, a group that opposes the government. He helped manage a large group on VKontakte, a social network. This group was against President Alexander Lukashenko until it was hacked in 2012. He also spent a month taking part in the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine.
Protasevich studied journalism at Belarusian State University. He was asked to leave the university in 2018. He worked as a reporter for several major Belarusian news groups for many years. From 2017 to 2018, he also worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Belarus channel.
In March 2019, Protasevich worked as a photographer for Euroradio.fm. He took photos at a meeting of prime ministers in Minsk. He also made video reports about refugees trying to move to the EU through Belarus.
Activism While Away from Belarus (2019–2021)
In 2019, Protasevich moved to Poland. On 22 January 2020, he asked Poland for political asylum. This means he asked for protection because he felt unsafe in his home country.
In 2020, he helped run the Nexta Telegram channel. This was with its creator, Stsiapan Putsila. In August 2020, Belarusian authorities tried to block internet access during the 2020 Belarusian presidential election. During this time, Nexta became a main source of news about the 2020 Belarusian protests. It helped people coordinate the events. The channel gained almost 800,000 new followers in just one week. Protasevich left Nexta in September 2020.
On 5 November 2020, Protasevich and Putsila were accused of organizing large protests. They were also accused of actions that greatly disturbed public order. The Belarusian KGB put them on a list of people involved in "terrorist activities" on 19 November.
On 2 March 2021, Protasevich announced he started working for the Telegram channel Belarus of the Brain. This channel was previously run by another blogger who had been held.
The Plane Incident and Arrest
Ryanair Flight 4978
On 23 May 2021, Ryanair Flight 4978 was flying from Athens to Vilnius. Roman Protasevich was on this plane. The plane received a false bomb threat. Belarusian air traffic control then made the plane land in Minsk National Airport.
While in Athens, Protasevich sent messages saying he saw a man following him and taking pictures. Minsk airport staff said they landed the plane because of a bomb report. However, no bomb was found on the plane. The plane changed its path just before it would have entered Lithuanian airspace.
In Minsk, Protasevich and his girlfriend were arrested at passport control. Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko's press service said he personally ordered the plane to be redirected. He also sent a Belarusian Air Force fighter jet to fly near it.
Soon after landing, Belarusian police took Protasevich away. Another passenger heard Protasevich talk about possibly facing a very serious punishment. Human rights groups later called for his immediate release. The charges against Protasevich could lead to a long prison sentence.
In July 2022, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said the grounding of the flight was against the law. They blamed high-ranking Belarusian officials. They also said Protasevich's arrest was wrong and called the bomb threat "false on purpose."
Being Held and Statements Made
The day after the plane was forced to land, Belarusian authorities showed a video. In it, Protasevich said he was treated well and not hurt. However, he looked stressed. He said he would admit to organizing "mass unrest." His father said the video seemed forced. Supporters of Protasevich said the video showed how he looked "under pressure."
The Viasna Human Rights Centre and other human rights groups called Protasevich a political prisoner. They demanded he be set free right away. Amnesty International also asked for Protasevich and Sapega to be released. They said their arrest was "unlawful."
Belarusian authorities did not let Protasevich's parents or his lawyer visit him for several days. On 27 May 2021, his mother held a press conference. She asked for medical help for her son. She said she had no news about where he was. She also said she could not send him anything through his lawyer.
On 27 May, his lawyer was allowed to meet with Protasevich. However, she could not tell journalists where he was or his legal status. This was because of an agreement with the authorities.
On 3 June 2021, another video of Protasevich was shown by Belarusian state media. In this video, he again repeated his "confessions." On 14 June, he appeared in public at a news conference in Minsk. He repeated that he felt fine and had not been hurt.
On 25 June, Protasevich and Sapega were moved to house arrest. This means they were allowed to stay at home but could not leave.
Trial and Pardon
Protasevich admitted to the first charges against him. His trial began on 16 February 2023. He said he was "ready to face any outcome." He also said that if he had not been taken from the Ryanair flight, he would never have returned to Belarus.
On 13 April 2023, prosecutors added more charges against Protasevich. These included "inciting social hatred" and organizing groups that called for the government to be overthrown. Protasevich said he was not guilty of these new charges.
On 3 May 2023, Protasevich was sentenced to eight years in prison. This was for charges including planning a coup.
However, on 22 May 2023, it was reported that Protasevich had been pardoned. This was confirmed the next day, and he was released. He said he was "very grateful to the country and to the president personally" for this decision. He also said he would go to a "quiet place" to rest.
After His Release
After his release, reports said that Protasevich spoke against his former girlfriend Sapega. This was possibly to get a reduced sentence or a pardon.
In May 2023, Protasevich's mother returned to Belarus from Poland. In an interview, Protasevich said he would not plan to be involved in politics anymore.
On 13 June 2023, President Lukashenko explained why he pardoned Protasevich. He said that Protasevich "did everything he promised to save his life" and "confessed that he had done wrong."
However, some other opposition figures now see Protasevich as someone who betrayed their cause. They feel he did not support the democratic movement.
On 19 June 2023, Protasevich was given the rules of his pardon. These included reporting to a supervisor and not being allowed to leave Belarus. In July 2023, the government removed him from their list of "terrorists."
Interesting Facts
Belarusian news media accused Protasevich of fighting with a Ukrainian group called the Azov Battalion. The BBC reported that pro-government news in Belarus called him an "extremist." Protasevich said in 2020 that he spent a year in Ukraine. He was covering the war there as a freelance photojournalist.
The Luhansk People's Republic, a group involved in the war, also accused Protasevich of being part of the Azov Battalion. They claimed he had committed serious crimes. They asked Belarus to send him to them. President Lukashenko said he was not against Protasevich being questioned by investigators from these groups, as long as it happened in Belarus.
See also
In Spanish: Román Protasévich para niños
