Protasevich, Called an Intelligence Agent by Lukashenko, Launches Show on State TV
Roman Protasevich, a journalist convicted and later pardoned for his role in 2020 protests, has debuted as a television host on Belarus’s state-controlled channel STV, moving beyond his prior role as a guest commentator.
The 30-year-old, whom President Alexander Lukashenko has described as an operative for Belarusian intelligence, now hosts his own program on the state broadcaster.
Protasevich’s show, titled «Uncovered,» promises to reveal «insights that no one has talked about yet» and which are «usually discussed behind closed doors,» according to the channel’s website.
A five-minute debut episode, available on YouTube, focused on a recent fire at Lithuania’s Ignalina nuclear power plant near the Belarusian border, which the host called a «test of responsibility.»
In October, Lukashenko stated that Protasevich had been working for Belarusian special services, including during his time with a Telegram channel now banned in Belarus. Protasevich confirmed this information but declined to elaborate. He was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony in 2023 before receiving a presidential pardon.