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WARSAW, Poland (AP) The Belarusian opposition said Friday a dissident journalist was coerced to appear in a video on state TV in which he wept and praised the country's authoritarian ruler, a broadcast sharply criticized by Western officials.
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WARSAW, Poland The Belarusian opposition said Friday a dissident journalist was coerced to appear in a video on state TV in which he wept and praised the country’s authoritarian ruler, a broadcast sharply criticized by Western officials.
In the 90-minute video broadcast Thursday night, Raman Pratasevich repented for his opposition activities and said he respects Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko as “a man with balls of steel.”
He said he was tired of political activism and only wants to have a family and live a normal life. Then he broke into tears, covering his face with his hands. As he did so, marks left by handcuffs were clearly visible on his wrists.
"Raman is a hostage. Lukashenko hijacked a passenger plane in order to capture him and subject him to that moral and physical humiliation," said Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Belarus opposition slams dissident TV confessions as coerced
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Dissident journalist Raman Pratasevich, left, covers his face as he cries during his interview with Belarusian journalist Marat Markau, on Belarusian ONT Channel in Minsk, Belarus, on Thursday, June 3, 2021. (ONT channel via AP)
WARSAW, Poland The Belarusian opposition said Friday a dissident journalist was coerced to appear in a video on state TV in which he wept and praised the country s authoritarian ruler, a broadcast sharply criticized by Western officials.
In the 90-minute video broadcast Thursday night, Raman Pratasevich repented for his opposition activities and said he respects Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko as a man with balls of steel.