Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Emily Atkinson

Belarus jails Russian activist after ‘hijacking’ Ryanair flight to arrest her

AP

A Russian activist has been jailed for six years after her Ryanair flight was forced to land in the Belarusian capital of Minsk in May 2021.

Sofia Sapega and her dissident boyfriend Roman Protasevich were on board a plane from Athens to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius when it was forced to changed course to head for Minsk after a supposed bomb scare.

The airline said Belarusian flight controllers told the crew there was a bomb threat as it was crossing through the country’s airspace and ordered it to land in Minsk. The couple were then pulled off the flight and detained in a move which sparked international outrage.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.