Belarus revokes residence permit from convicted Russian national

August 30, BPN. Convicted Russian national Sofya Sapega (Safija Sapieha) has had her residence permit in Belarus revoked, the Viasna Human Rights Center reports.

She was also denied a meeting with family members, presumably for sharing a cigarette.

Sapega is serving a six-year sentence for administering opposition Telegram channel Chernaya Kniga Belarusi.

She and her boyfriend, Belarusian opposition journalist Raman Pratasievič, were arrested in a Minsk airport on May 23, 2021, after their flight had been forced to land.

On June 3, Alaksandr Łukašenka said it would be possible to send Sapega to Russia.

“We have a practice that we can hand over a Russian national to Russia. Let her serve her sentence there. Or let them do whatever they want,” he said. “I think it is a big lesson for her.”

On June 27, her family’s lawyer Anton Hašynski told BPN that she had asked Łukašenka for pardon.