A Ryanair flight from Athens, Greece to Vilnius, Lithuania was diverted on May 23 after a Belarussian fighter jet intercepted the plane. Using the pretense of a bomb threat, the plane landed in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, and journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend were arrested. Protasevich is a known critic of Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian leader of Belarus who has led the country since independence from the Soviet Union.
The other passengers of the flight were eventually allowed to depart on the plane, which reached Vilnius over eight hours behind schedule.
The European Union has banned flights from flying through Belarussian airspace in response to the incident, which has been widely called a violation of international law.
Belarus, sometimes called the last dictatorship in Europe, is known for its restrictive laws and its strongman rule by Lukashenko. Lukashenko faced massive protests calling for his resignation after the presidential election in 2020, which was clouded by allegations of widespread fraud.
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