Sofia Sapega, a citizen of the Russian Federation, received a pardon from Belarusian authorities and publicly spoke about the amnesty. In an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda, she described the release as a surprising turn of events that she did not anticipate until moments before it happened.
She recalled that the decision came almost out of the blue and noted that, just half an hour before the official announcement, she had no inkling that freedom would come so suddenly. Sapega shared her plans for the immediate future and the steps she intended to take after being released.
The ex-prisoner expressed a desire to spend time with her family and reassess her life post-incarceration. She said she hoped to renew herself first, and then seriously consider how to move forward and rebuild her life in the coming years.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko granted Sapega a presidential pardon. Previously, a Belarusian court had sentenced her to six years in prison. After the amnesty, Sapega was transferred to the Primorsky Krai delegation led by Governor Oleg Kozhemyako. Kozhemyako stated that the Belarusian leader showed a paternal understanding toward Sapega’s parents’ pleas for leniency, and that the pardon was signed almost immediately following their meeting. He also noted that Sapega served two years of her sentence instead of six.
According to Sapega’s lawyer, Anton Gashinsky, she has already exited Belarusian territory. Sapega’s detention occurred on May 23, 2021, in the company of Roman Protasevich, a former head of the opposition Telegram channel NEXTA in Belarus. In connection with an international incident, a passenger plane carrying the pair was diverted to Minsk at Belarusian request, while they were en route to Vilnius. During investigations, Sapega admitted to operating a Telegram channel that published personal data about security forces.
Media reports in May indicated that Protasevich, who had himself been pardoned, testified against Sapega in the case that drew considerable international attention. The evolving narratives around the events reflect the broader, highly charged political environment in the region and the ongoing scrutiny of justice and reconciliation processes in Belarus and neighboring states.