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May 25, 2021 Belarusian government media have released a video featuring journalist Roman Protasevich, arrested the day before at Minsk airport after the hijacking of the plane that took him from Athens to Vilnius. “I am in the No. 1 in Minsk. I can claim that I have no health problems, including my heart or any other organ. The attitude of the staff here is the most correct and compliant with the law. I continue to cooperate with the investigation and I confess to organizing mass riots in Minsk, ”Protasevich says in the video.
In the video, however, Protasevich shows many signs on his face which for many observers are the sign of the beatings received by the opponent of the dictator Lukashenko.
#Belarus Breaking. Pro-government channels published Raman #Pratasevich video address. He was forced to say he is confessing that he was "plotting riots" pic.twitter.com/vhyIs6FmWC
- Hanna Liubakova (@HannaLiubakova) May 24, 2021
Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has expressed concern over the fate of Roman Protasevich. "It is the second day since his arrest and we still do not know where he is and how he is", said Tikhanovskaya speaking with the Bns agency in Vilnius. "It is very likely that he is now being tortured by members of the special forces," he added.
Belarusian authorities denied that Protasevich was hospitalized.
His partner, a 23-year-old student, who is now in Minsk's Okrestina prison, was also arrested along with Protasevich, Tikhanovskaya said, citing the woman's relatives.