Belarusian opponent Roman Protassevich and his partner Sofia Sapéga were arrested on Sunday during the hijacking of a plane of the airline Ryanair which was flying over Belarus.
The journalist was in pre-trial detention in Minsk on Monday.
"We only have a few days to act," warns Sabina, a friend of the couple, on Tuesday on Europe 1.
TESTIMONY
Roman Protassevich was arrested on Sunday in Minsk with his partner, Sofia Sapéga, on the descent of the hijacked Ryanair flight on the order of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. The former editor-in-chief of influential opposition media
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, who played a key role in organizing a historic protest movement against Alexander Lukashenko in 2020, was on remand in a prison in the capital on Monday. from this country, according to the spokesperson of the Belarusian Interior Ministry.
"I have not heard from Roman and his partner since their arrest. We know that they are both detained in Minsk but it could end badly. We only have a few days to act", s alarm Sabina, a friend of the couple, Tuesday at the microphone of Europe 1.
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"Roman thought he was safe on this plane"
Sabina is Belarusian but lives in Lithuania, in the capital Vilnius, where she studies law at the same university as Sofia Sapéga.
It is also this city that the plane from Greece in which the couple was located.
Sabina says she was "shocked" by the episode of the hijacking of the craft.
"Roman thought he was safe, protected by Lithuanian law and international law on this plane," she said.
"We must not forget that he was simply kidnapped, like many people in Belarus in recent months. It is terrible."
"I don't feel safe anywhere"
Like Roman, Sabina is very committed and militates online against the regime in place, which she describes as "terrorist". Now, she confides being afraid for her own safety. "Of course I'm scared because I know that the police are looking for me right now in Belarus," she slips. "I can't go because I'm threatened there. Now I don't feel safe anywhere. I feel like I can't move. It's scary."
Usually living in exile in Lithuania, Roman Protassevich is being prosecuted in Belarus for "organizing massive disturbances", a crime punishable by 15 years in prison. The Belarusian security services (KGB), inherited from the Soviet period, also placed him on a list of "individuals implicated in terrorist activities". According to the opposition, because of the latter motive, the opponent faces the death penalty in Belarus, the last country to apply the death penalty in Europe.