Relatives, opposition leader believe detained Belarusian journalist was forced to make video confession


Dzmitry Protasevich says it's clear that his son, Belarusian dissident journalist Roman Protasevich, was coerced by authorities into making a video where he admits to organizing "mass riots."
"It's not his words, it's not the intonation of speech, he is acting very reserved, and you can see he is nervous," Dzmitry Protasevich told Reuters on Tuesday. "My son cannot admit to creating the mass disorders, because he just didn't do any such thing."
On Sunday, Roman Protasevich, 26, was on a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania when Belarus' authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, ordered a fighter jet to escort the plane to the Minsk airport. Once on the ground, Protasevich was arrested. He is the co-founder of an opposition news outlet, and last year was placed on Belarus' list of terrorists, accused of inciting hatred and mass disorder.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In a 29-second video released Monday and posted to social media channels allied with Lukashenko, Protasevich said authorities were treating him "as correctly as possible" and he wasn't experiencing any health issues. It looked like there were bruises and abrasions on Protasevich's face, and he appeared to be reading from a script. His father told Reuters it looked like Protasevich's nose had been broken, "because the shape of it is changed."
Amnesty International spokesman Alexander Artemyev told The Washington Post it looked like Protasevich had possibly been subjected to "torture or other ill-treatment." Lukashenko is often referred to as "Europe's last dictator," and Belarusian authorities have been accused of intimidating political prisoners into making forced confessions. After watching the video of Protasevich, Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said there was "no doubt" he had been tortured and was "under pressure."
A second video was released on Tuesday night, this time showing Protasevich's girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, who was detained with him on Sunday. In this clip, Sapega states that she is behind a Telegram channel that released the personal information of law enforcement officers.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Trump halts Gaza visas as Israelis protest war
Speed Read Laura Loomer voiced her concerns over injured Palestinian kids being brought to the US for treatment and a potential 'Islamic invasion'
-
Russia tries Ukraine land grab before Trump summit
Speed Read The incursion may be part of Putin's efforts to boost his bargaining position
-
US, China extend trade war truce for 90 days
Speed Read The triple-digit tariff threat is postponed for another three months
-
Europe counters Putin ahead of Trump summit
Speed Read President Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week for Ukraine peace talks
-
Israeli security cabinet OKs Gaza City takeover
Speed Read Netanyahu approved a proposal for Israeli Defense Forces to take over the largest population center in the Gaza Strip
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Thailand, Cambodia agree to ceasefire in border fight
Speed Read At least 38 people were killed and more than 300,000 displaced in the recent violence
-
Israel 'pauses' Gaza military activity as aid outcry grows
Speed Read The World Health Organization said malnutrition has reached 'alarming levels' in Gaza