The Primorsky Krai governor, Oleg Kozhemyako, disclosed details of a recent meeting with Sofia Sapega, a Russian citizen who faced a Belarusian court and was later pardoned by presidential decree. The governor published a video of their discussion in his own newspaper and telecommunication channel to share the exchange with the public.
Kozhemyako explained that Sapega, a native of the Primorsky Territory, received a presidential pardon after appealing to President Alexander Lukashenko. He described the Belarusian leader as responding with a fatherly sense of understanding to Sapega’s parents’ appeals for clemency. The governor noted that Lukashenko granted amnesty immediately following the meeting, a decision that, according to him, shortened Sapega’s two-year sentence from the original six years proposed by investigators and courts.
The governor added that Sapega would surely reflect on the experience and treat it as a serious life lesson. He expressed optimism that a bright future awaits her and that she would take the opportunity to rebuild her life positively. Sapega, he said, is now on her way to rejoin her family, with a sense of renewed purpose and a clear path forward.
Earlier coverage from May referenced reports about Roman Protasevich, who had supported Sapega’s ex-partner in the controversy, implying a complex set of public testimonies surrounding the individuals involved in the case. Sapega’s detention and later pardon are tied to the international attention surrounding the diversion and landing of a Ryanair flight over Belarus in May 2021, an incident that brought scrutiny to the actions of Belarusian authorities during a highly charged political moment.
In that broader episode, Sapega and Protasevich were detained in connection with allegations that Sapega helped manage a Telegram channel known for broadcasting personal data related to Belarusian security forces and their families. The case drew widespread commentary on political freedoms, media responsibility, and the limits of online activism in the region, prompting ongoing discussions among policymakers, legal observers, and international audiences about due process and the conditions under which pardons and amnesties are granted.