Belarus “hijacks” Ryanair Flight to Arrest Journalist

Calls grew for the European Union to add further sanctions and bar flights from Belarus after a flight from Athens to Lithuania's capital Vilnius was diverted in order to arrest a prominent opposition journalist.

Roman Protasevich, 26, a founder and former editor of the NEXTA Telegram channel, was the target of an operation Belarusian authorities have said was directly authorised by President Alexander Lukashenko.

Protasevich, who fled Belarus in 2019 and lives in Lithuania, reportedly told fellow passengers that he feared receiving the death penalty in Belarus. Both he and his partner Sofia Sapega were arrested on arrival in Minsk. Their current whereabouts are unknown.

Lukashenko, who has been called Europe's Last Dictator and has been in power since 1994, has withstood months of violent protests against his government following disputed presidential elections in 2020. Belarusian authorities have retaliated against demonstrations with a brutal crackdown that including the arbitrary arrest and detention of thousands. Domestic and international journalists have been subjected to a range of repressive measures, including arrests and their credentials being revoked.

NEXTA, based in Warsaw, was one of the primary means by which Belarusians could bypass domestic media restrictions and find out about the demonstrations. The channel published advice to protesters as well as straight reporting. In November last year, Belarusia’s security services, the KGB, added Roman Protasevich and his colleague Stepan Putilo to a list of suspected terrorists – the only two Belarusian citizens to be included.

Protasevich had been in Greece to appear at the noted Delphi Forum alongside opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Ryanair said Belarusian flight controllers told the flight crew there was a bomb threat against the plane as it was crossing through the country’s airspace and ordered it to land, reportedly on direct orders from Lukashenko. A Belarusian fighter jet accompanied the passenger flight as it was redirected to Minsk.

Foreign agents in Greece may have helped the operation, said the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, reporting that while he was at Athens International Airport, Protasevich posted on Telegram he was approached by an unknown Russian-speaking man who took his photo. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary has said he believes four agents from Belarus' secret KGB were on board and got off when Protasevich and Sapega, were removed from the plane.

Criticism from European and international leaders was immediate and vocal. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it amounted to a “hijacking,” while Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called it a “state-sponsored terror act.” Lithuanian flights are currently banned from transiting Belarus.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told The Financial Times that, “European leaders must agree ... there will be clear and severe consequences that will leave no room for Belarus to question our unity and determination.”

Nevertheless, there remains a big question about Backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko has been able to ride out the protests and several rounds of EU sanctions. Measures renewed by the European Council earlier this year including a travel ban to the EU and an asset freeze for 88 people, including the president himself.