Journalist Pratasievič charged with two counts of extremist group leadership

April 13, BPN. Authorities brought heavier charges against journalist Raman Pratasievič currently being tried at the Minsk Regional Court on April 13, RIA Novosti reported.

Jan Rudzik, another defendant in the NEXTA case, also faces heavier charges.

While the charge of providing rioters with training and material support was dropped against Ściapan Puciła, Pratasievič and Rudzik last week, Pratasievič and Rudzik were charged with two counts of leading extremist groups, NEXTA and Belarus Golovnogo Mozga.

The prosecutor said that Pratasievič led NEXTA, a Telegram messenger channel, in 2020, and later was in charge of Belarus Golovnogo Mozga, another channel on Telegram and other social media.

Rudzik allegedly worked for NEXTA from June 2021 to May 2022, after Pratasievič’s detention, and then led Belarus Golovnogo Mozga.

Pratasievič and other defendants are charged with at least 11 crimes.

The trial has been adjourned until April 19 to let Pratasievič familiarize himself with the new accusation.

The Minsk Regional Court started considering the NEXTA case on February 16. Poland-based Puciła and Rudzik are being tried in absentia. Pratasievič is under house arrest in Belarus, as he “fully complied with the terms of his pre-trial cooperation agreement.” He was present at the first hearing and pleaded guilty.

When sending the criminal case to court, the Prosecutor General’s Office said defendants should pay the state 30 million rubels (some $11.9 million) to compensate for property damage.

Raman Pratasievič and Russian national Sofya Sapega were arrested after the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk in 2021.

On May 6, 2022, the Hrodna Regional Court sentenced Sapega to six years in prison. She may be sent to Russia to serve her sentence.