Nexta editor to stay under house arrest

May 3, BPN. Raman Pratasievič, the journalist whose capture two years ago involved a false bomb threat and the forced landing of a passenger flight, will remain under house arrest until his sentence becomes enforceable, the Supreme Court has said in a press release.

This morning, the Minsk Regional Court sentenced Pratasievič to eight years in prison, branding his work as extremism and a threat to national security. He may lodge an appeal against that ruling with the Supreme Court.

Belarusian authorities hunted down Pratasievič because they considered his Nexta media outlet responsible for political unrest that followed the disputed presidential election in 2020.

The court also sentenced the Nexta founder, Ściapan Puciła, and journalist Jan Rudzik to 20 and 19 years in prison, respectively, without the defendants being present.

The EU-based Puciła and Rudzik were tried under special proceedings that target those living abroad and evading contact with investigators.