Belarus Pardons Activist Roman Protasevich After Plane Hijacking Arrest

Belarusian dissident blogger Roman Protasevich, who was detained after his flight was forced to land in Belarus, has received a presidential pardon and avoided close to a decade behind bars. Protasevich was editor-in-chief of opposition Telegram channel Nexta during widespread protests that followed the country's disputed elections in 2020. He was arrested in May 2021 after a Ryanair flight he was on was ordered to land in Belarusian airspace. Protasevich thanked Belarus' autocratic leader Alexander Lukashenko for the decision and his family has claimed he suffered "abuse, torture and threats" while in captivity.