Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich sentenced to 8 years in jail after forced plane landing.
Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich, who was arrested after his commercial flight was diverted to Belarus in May 2021, has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Pratasevich, who ran the opposition Telegram channel Nexta, was charged with organising unrest and plotting to seize power. His girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, was also arrested and sentenced to six years in prison earlier this year. The forced diversion of the Ryanair jet sparked outrage in the west, with several countries imposing sanctions on Belarus. Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called the sentences a "disregard for justice".
