The Belarusian Prosecutor General’s Office approved the transfer of Sofia Sapega to Russia, following her conviction in connection with organizing an uprising in Belarus. This update was reported by a major Russian news agency, citing the department’s press service.
The supervisory authority stated that all damage from Sapega’s actions has been fully compensated. It noted there are no legal barriers to Sapega’s return to Russia, where she will continue serving her sentence. The approval has been forwarded to the Russian Ministry of Justice.
Once Minsk receives assurance that the Belarusian court’s sentence will be executed, Sapega will be handed over to representatives of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service. A member of the Russian Human Rights Council, Eva Merkacheva, commented that Sapega will likely be taken to Moscow upon arrival, where she is expected to be placed in a Moscow detention facility, SIZO-6 at Pechatniki, for an initial period while her case is reviewed.
Merkacheva explained that Sapega will have the opportunity to seek a review of her case, since Russian criminal law differs from Belarusian law. Specifically, a Russian court may consider options such as presidential pardon or parole.
She outlined three potential paths: a presidential pardon that requires no formal criteria, parole with a recalculation of the sentence and comparison of conditions between the Belarusian facility and Russian penalties, and a formal review of the Belarusian sentence by a Russian court. In the latter case, the court could determine a corresponding punishment under Russian law or release based on differing legal standards.
The Human Rights Council member indicated that the Belarusian justice system is often stricter than Russia’s, which could allow Sapega to be released before the Russian parole period if applicable.
According to Mash, Sapega would then move from SIZO-6 in Moscow to IK-5 in Mozhaisk, near the capital, where she might participate in local clothing industry work opportunities.
Sofia Sapega, 25, was detained after a Ryanair flight was diverted to Minsk in May 2021. She traveled to Vilnius from Greece with a partner previously identified as the editor of an opposition Telegram channel, linked to allegations of extremist activity in Belarus. Sapega and Protasevic were detained following the plane’s landing. Protasevic has been placed on a terrorist list and faces charges related to organizing large protests, attempting to seize power, and inciting hatred, with the Belarusian case ongoing.
Sapega faced accusations of inciting public hatred and illegally collecting and disseminating private data. Belarusian authorities claimed she operated the Belarusian Black Book Telegram channel, described as extremist for publishing personal information about security personnel involved in suppressing protests after the 2020 presidential election.
In mid-2021, Belarusian authorities reported that Sapega and Protasevich reached an understanding that led to a change in their preventive measures, resulting in house arrest. On May 6, 2022, a court in Grodno found Sapega guilty, sentencing her to six years in prison and ordering compensation for moral damages to victims totaling over 167,500 Belarusian rubles (more than 5 million Russian rubles at the current rate).
Sapega completed her sentence at IK-4 in Gomel. In June of the previous year, a lawyer stated that a petition for pardon had been submitted to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who later declined to grant clemency. Minsk officials argued that Sapega did not meet several conditions for early release.
Officials noted that the president did have the authority to pardon in this case, but the overall criteria did not justify a pardon at that time. On April 3, the transfer process to Russia was initiated, and this week the Russian embassy in Belarus confirmed acceptance of Sapega’s transfer. A lawyer later indicated that the return plan had been underway for some time, though not publicly addressed.
Briefly, doubts existed about Sapega’s willingness to transfer to Russia due to perceived uncertainties there, but a lawyer who visited the colony concluded that the transfer to the Russian Federation was advisable after reviewing the pros and cons. Sapega’s family submitted petitions to the Russian Ministry of Justice to facilitate the move, and Moscow agreed to the transfer pending Minsk’s translation and re-examination of her case under Russian law. The Russian court will determine which article of the Russian Criminal Code corresponds to Sapega’s Belarusian charges and what the resulting punishment might be, with time already served in Belarus to be considered. It should be noted that the Russian court would not determine Sapega’s guilt anew, only the applicable punishment under Russian law.