Moscow, 3 May 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Roman Protasevich, a prominent blogger and critic of the authoritarian Belarusian government whose 2021 arrest caused international outrage, was sentenced to eight years in a prison camp by a court in Minsk on Wednesday.

Prosecutors had accused the 27-year-old blogger of plotting to seize power, among other things, according to Belarusian state news agency Belta.

Protasevich, who used to be editor-in-chief of the opposition blog Nexta, is widely viewed internationally as a political prisoner.

His spectacular arrest in May 2021 caused outrage around the world. He was on a flight from Greece to Lithuania with his then-girlfriend Sofia Sapega when the Belarusian authorities forced the Ryanair plane to land in Minsk because of what they claimed was a bomb threat.

Both the blogger and Sapega were promptly arrested and imprisoned. Sapega, who is a Russian citizen, was sentenced to six years in prison.

After his arrest, Protasevich appeared several times on Belarusian state television, where he distanced himself from his opposition activities. However, relatives believe that his statements were coerced under immense pressure and possible torture.

Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, who is also a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has led a brutal and severe crackdown on political opponents and critics, especially after widespread anti-regime protests in the summer of 2020.