Erik Halkjær, chairman of Swedish Reporters Without Borders, is not surprised by the verdict.
"It is a completely reprehensible verdict, he should be released. Like so many other journalists in Belarus, says Erik Halkjær.
Protasevich ran a Telegram channel during the 2020 presidential election and played an important role in the democracy movement in Belarus. The court today also sentenced two co-defendants in their absence, Stepan Putilo and Jan Rudik, to 20 and 19 years in prison respectively.
– There is no freedom of the press in Belarus, about 30 journalists are in prison, says Erik Halkjær.
On Reporters Without Borders' 2023 Press Freedom Index, Belarus ranks 157th out of 180 countries in the world. Russia occupies 164th place and Turkey 165th.