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Roman Protassewitsch at the press conference in Minsk
Photo: Viktor Tolochko / picture alliance / dpa / Sputnik
Roman Protassevich has been imprisoned in Belarus for more than three weeks.
Now the opposition blogger and activist was shown to the public again on Monday.
This time he was placed next to high-ranking officials of the Belarusian regime.
They held a press conference at the State Department.
Media representatives from the Belarusian and Russian media and embassy staff were present.
The authority had previously announced that it would hold a press briefing, in particular about the Minsk view of the Ryanair flight that was forced to land.
Protassevich had sat in the passenger plane with 126 people on board on May 23.
He was then arrested from the machine with his girlfriend Sofja Saperga.
Protassevich spoke on Monday about his condition, his girlfriend, his parents and the Belarusian opposition in Warsaw and Vilnius.
It was not clear under what circumstances Protassevich had to attend the press conference on Monday.
DER SPIEGEL therefore does not quote them.
Next to the activist sat the head of the investigation committee, which is prosecuting him.
The official listed Protassevich's alleged crimes, among other things he is said to have organized "mass riots," as the regime calls the protests against ruler Alexander Lukashenko.
Compulsory confession and compulsory interview
It can be assumed that the opposition will be put under massive pressure, also because his girlfriend, a Russian citizen, is still in custody in Minsk.
Protassevich had to admit his alleged guilt in a short video after his arrest and also had to conduct a detailed interview with a journalist loyal to the regime for state television.
The 26-year-old also looked very nervous on Monday, as confirmed by those present in the Minsk hall.
A BBC correspondent had left the Foreign Ministry's press center after it became clear that Protassevich would also speak there.
“We just went out.
Do not participate if he is clearly there under duress, «wrote Jonah Fischer on Twitter:
Most recently Protassevich lived in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
There he ran a dissident Telegram channel.
He became known through his work on the opposition Telegram channel "Nexta" in Warsaw, Poland, the most important channel during the mass protests in late summer 2020.
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