Russian citizen Sofia Sapega, who was convicted in Belarus, may be pardoned before year’s end. Her lawyer, Anton Gashinsky, shared this with the BBC, noting that the process has cleared its first stage.
According to Gashinsky, the colonial administration approved Sapega’s request for amnesty and recognized that every effort had been made to pursue clemency. The next step involves evaluation by the presidential pardon commission, which could take roughly three months. In reaching its decision, the commission considers the colony administration’s stance, Sapega’s conduct and attitude toward daily life in the prison, the severity of the crime, the length of the sentence, and the extent of compensation already made for labor performed.
The lawyer stated that the colonial administration approved Sapega’s pardon petition on September 6, and the convict informed her relatives that same day.
“She remains hopeful for a release, and the family cannot imagine denying that hope,” Sapega’s mother Anna Dudich told the publication.
According to a relative, Sapega continues to sew in the colony, and her health has deteriorated under stress.
Sapega submitted amnesty petitions to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko twice, the second time at the end of June 2022. At the same time, the Russian lawyer told Socialbites.ca that Sapega would have sufficient arguments to support the petition.
“The conditions for presidential pardon have been met by Sapega. We trust the President to show humanism and grant release from serving the sentence,” Gashinsky said on June 27. He added that the purpose of deprivation of liberty is reform, not mere punishment, and Sapega is ready to reintegrate into society.
Gashinsky also noted that Sapega endured harsh prison conditions, describing them as quite difficult. “Psychologically, it has been very tough. She is depressed and eager to be released so she can be with her family, especially her mother.”
However, the lawyer did not comment on Sapega’s attitude toward her ex-boyfriend, Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich.
On June 3, Lukashenko suggested Sapega could return to Russia, mentioning that this might be possible given her Minsk citizenship.
The Russian Foreign Ministry remarked that Sapega could be eligible for amnesty for helping expose crimes and mitigate their consequences. In such cases, the President would evaluate the petition.
In practice, authorities tend to apply an individual approach, weighing the public danger of the act, a guilty conscience and admission of guilt, cooperation with investigators, and restitution. The Russian ministry provided details about fines and other case circumstances.
In May 2021, Belarusian authorities forcibly landed a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius in Minsk after reports of a later unconfirmed bomb threat. Roman Protasevich, former editor-in-chief of the NEXTA Telegram channel, and Sapega were detained at Minsk airport.
Sapega was accused of administering the Black Book of Belarus Telegram channel, which posted personal data of security personnel who allegedly mistreated demonstrators following the 2020 presidential election results.
Some time later, Protasevich gave a lengthy interview to Belarusian television, admitting he organized the protests and expressing a desire to “fix everything and live a quiet life.” He was released under house arrest. In January 2022, Protasevich joined the Belarusian pro-government Center for Systemic Human Rights.
In May, Sapega was found guilty of “inciting societal enmity and discord” and sentenced to six years in prison. She is currently serving her term in a penal colony in Gomel. Shortly after Sapega’s breakup, Protasevich married another woman. Socialbites.ca, and other reporting on these events.