Belarus has been accused of state terrorism after forcing a Ryanair flight to land in Minsk under the pretext of a bomb threat, leading to the arrest of opposition blogger Roman Protasevich. The flight, en route from Athens to Vilnius, was diverted to Minsk national airport, where Protasevich was detained by police. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko confirmed he ordered a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the plane.
Protasevich, a former editor of the influential Telegram channels Nexta and Nexta Live, is wanted in Belarus for organising last year’s protests against Lukashenko. He faces charges of terrorism and provoking riots, which carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. According to reports, he told a fellow passenger, “I’m facing the death penalty here,” before being taken away. His current whereabouts are unknown.
The incident has sparked widespread international condemnation. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called it a “reprehensible act of state terrorism” and demanded new EU sanctions. The UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, “This outlandish action by Lukashenko will have serious implications.” A joint statement from the UK, US, and several European countries condemned the action as “an act of piracy” and called for all overflights of Belarus to be suspended.
European Council President Charles Michel said EU leaders would discuss repercussions at an emergency meeting on Monday. “The incident will not remain without consequences,” he stated. The EU has already sanctioned nearly 60 Belarusian officials, including Lukashenko, over electoral fraud and a subsequent crackdown on protesters.
Protasevich had been living in exile in Poland, which rejected a previous extradition request from Minsk. The flight was operated by Ryanair, an Irish carrier, and was within EU airspace when diverted. The grounding of the aircraft has raised concerns about the safety of air travel in and around Belarus.
