Belarus: opponent Roman Protassevich confesses filmed “under threat”

Published on :

Journalist Roman Protassevich, arrested on May 23 during the hijacking of a European airliner through Minsk, appeared on Thursday in a new video, probably filmed under threat, in which he claims to have called for protests against the Belarusian regime.

Belarusian public television broadcast, Thursday, June 3, filmed statements in which an opposition journalist recently arrested after the diversion of his plane admits his guilt and says he wants to correct his mistakes, a confession filmed “under threat” according to his relatives and an NGO.

Former editor-in-chief of the opposition media NEXTA, which played a key role in the historic protest movement in Belarus in 2020, Roman Protassevich, visibly uncomfortable, claims to have called for protests against the regime and ensures respect President Alexander Lukashenko. The 26-year-old journalist also says he wants to correct his mistakes and lead a quiet life, far from politics.

A few hours before the interview was broadcast, the human rights NGO Viasna denounced remarks obtained “under threat”. “Everything that (Roman) Protassevich will say will have been obtained after threats, psychological at least, and under the threat of unjust but very serious accusations of which he is the subject,” told AFP Thursday morning the director of Viasna, Ales Beliatski. “Whatever he says now is pure propaganda that has no part of the truth,” he continued.

The journalist’s father, Dmitri Protassevich, also considered that these televised confessions were the result of “violence, torture and threats”. “I know my son very well and I am convinced that he would never say such things,” he told AFP.

International outcry

Roman Protassevich was arrested on 23 May along with his 23-year-old Russian companion, Sofia Sapega, after their Ryanair airliner made an unplanned landing in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, when he had departed from Athens and was to land in Vilnius, Lithuania. The Belarusian authorities justified the rerouting of the plane, which was flying over their territory, with a bomb threat.

This affair sparked an international outcry and the announcement of new sanctions against Minsk, the opposition and Western capitals denouncing a subterfuge of the regime of Alexander Lukashenko to arrest the opponent.

In Belarus, Roman Protassevich is being prosecuted for “organizing” riots, a crime punishable by 15 years in prison.

The day after the opponent’s arrest, while independent media worried about his state of health, the Belarusian authorities broadcast a video of Roman Protassevich in which the latter said he had “confessed”. Her Russian friend, Sofia Sapega, also appeared in a video where she confesses to crimes. Each time, the opposition denounced recordings obtained under duress, a practice long used by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.

With AFP

1 thought on “Belarus: opponent Roman Protassevich confesses filmed “under threat””

  1. https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=d002e0eb-b67b-42ea-8c90-48e1d10812dd
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=b3bc362e-ea55-48b5-b57f-80775ac9c5da
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=a7969898-feda-457a-8688-5f4ec6016b5b
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=392e8c3d-044e-4a75-bc91-cf9d569d8ab2
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=7e3314f4-9c9d-4304-ba6e-15e86257eb68
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=4fd9b2d4-0ad7-4dad-8513-468840aff74d
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=2ea8b4b7-3fa1-4ab8-8c26-99e0a1c80967
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=02e74abf-9948-4b2f-918a-71445aee64f5
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=caf9753f-826a-4d39-afbd-9bf45eb8ab56
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=71c5cef2-5c97-46c1-95be-1db20d5461a0
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=ed0bb5e5-dfaf-4fdd-997b-c4e5c59770c6
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=a4a380bb-0659-478f-bae3-88e4538129af
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=77520057-7de5-4b7c-9620-76875215dd42
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=c681ea1b-6e1e-4623-9d2f-1919ae45e787
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=6fca5cb9-c307-4e3c-93d3-68372f24b699
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=f4d20501-a40e-44be-96e4-c7ed9a5af14f
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=bcd06733-1018-43dc-888a-bc693e8bc8ea
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=48233681-093e-49d3-a04a-80e535d21af1
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=4bdef0d1-5185-4947-a105-3d8ca3936322
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=cd3dfccf-e403-4ea9-8cee-2ccc30f80d8f
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=58bedf41-7103-49fe-b9b4-9920f0b4c4d3
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=01377168-c8a8-4531-b559-4e5618c70d9f
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=47f4dd62-63e2-40e9-8163-cc180d94d0fe
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=efc606f0-5168-4e9d-9f25-9f9765e1af4d
    https://connect.informs.org/network/members/profile?UserKey=544dfbcd-9b09-45c7-b1e0-eb61c30b778c
    https://spiible.com/institutions/zip-downloadmp3-fosa-f%C3%B8sa-album-download
    https://spiible.com/institutions/zip-downloadmp3-aurora-en-el-sur-mestizo-aurora-en-el-sur-mestizo-album-download
    https://spiible.com/institutions/downloadmp3-ash-olsen-tuttifrutti-ep-album-download
    https://telegra.ph/Download-Benyo51—Stenz-2021-Album-06-03
    https://spiible.com/institutions/zip-downloadmp3-ladrvga-no-te-invite-mi-fiesta-album-download
    https://spiible.com/institutions/zip-downloadmp3-erol-josu%C3%A9-pelerinaj-album-download
    https://spiible.com/institutions/download-album-eigen-risico-como-pa-morir%C3%A9-ep-zip-mp3
    https://spiible.com/institutions/download-zip-mp3-1spirit-theophilus-sunday-walk-full-album-download
    https://spiible.com/institutions/download-album-various-artists-latin-rock-vibes-zip-mp3
    https://created.crayola.com/network/members/profile?UserKey=9f528288-e633-4401-b128-836f0018d312
    https://spiible.com/institutions/download-album-mr-williamz-soundkilla-mindset-zip-mp3
    https://telegra.ph/Download-PollyHill—Post-Humorous—EP-2021-Album-06-03
    https://spiible.com/institutions/download-album-various-artists-latin-summer-party-zip-mp3
    https://spiible.com/institutions/download-album-original-h-nan-boul-figi-yo-live-2021-zip-mp3
    https://spiible.com/institutions/downloadmp3-pollyhill-post-humorous-ep-album-download
    https://spiible.com/institutions/zip-downloadmp3-ramona-redes-sociales-album-download
    https://telegra.ph/Download-Obed-Calvaire-Bob-Franceschini-Kevin-Hays–Orlando-le-Fleming—Whole-Lotta-Love-The-Music-of-Led-Zeppelin-2021-Album-06-03
    https://spiible.com/institutions/zip-downloadmp3-lena-confident-ep-album-download
    https://spiible.com/institutions/download-album-eek-mouse-one-man-survival-ep-feat-jox-zip-mp3
    https://spiible.com/institutions/download-album-jan-arvid-johansen-den-finaste-sangen-zip-mp3
    https://spiible.com/institutions/download-album-geni-colegui-z%C3%A1ngano-ep-zip-mp3
    https://telegra.ph/Download-George-Cables—Too-Close-for-Comfort-2021-Album-06-03
    https://spiible.com/institutions/download-zip-mp3-hiver-sequential-circuits-full-album-download
    https://created.crayola.com/network/members/profile?UserKey=f0cdc3ff-326b-47e6-8fce-dc978e48c2a8
    https://created.crayola.com/network/members/profile?UserKey=ebb21464-e00f-4ec2-8a4b-0426682d148c

Comments are closed.