Belarus forces airliner to land and arrests opponent, sparking U.S. and European outrage
Belarusian authorities forced a Ryanair plane to land in Minsk on Sunday and detained an opposition-minded journalist who was on board, prompting condemnation from Europe and the United States. The passenger plane, which was flying from Athens to Lithuania, was escorted to the capital of Belarus by a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet after a false bomb alert was flagged. Roman Protasevich, the journalist, had his head in his hands and was shaking when he realized the flight was headed for Minsk, according to a passenger who spoke to Lithuania's Delfi news outlet. When he was taken away, he reportedly said, "I'll get the death penalty here."0
