https://www.npr.org/2021/05/23/999603575/ryanair-flight-carrying-opposition-journalist-forced-to-land-in-belarus Accessibility links * Skip to main content * Keyboard shortcuts for audio player * Open Navigation Menu * NPR logo * NPR 50 years logo NPR 50 years logo * * * NPR Shop * Close Navigation Menu * Home * News Expand/collapse submenu for News + National + World + Politics + Business + Health + Science + Technology + Race & Culture * Arts & Life Expand/collapse submenu for Arts & Life + Books + Movies + Television + Pop Culture + Food + Art & Design + Performing Arts * Music Expand/collapse submenu for Music + Tiny Desk + All Songs Considered + Music News + New Music + Music Features + Live Sessions * Shows & Podcasts Expand/collapse submenu for Shows & Podcasts Daily + [morning-ed] Morning Edition + [we_otheren] Weekend Edition Saturday + [we_otheren] Weekend Edition Sunday + [all-things] All Things Considered + [fresh-air] Fresh Air + [up-first] Up First Featured + [updatedoow] On Our Watch + [invisibili] Invisibilia + [pchh_podca] Pop Culture Happy Hour + [npr_hibt_p] How I Built This with Guy Raz + More Shows & Podcasts * Search * * NPR Shop * NPR Music NPR Music * Tiny Desk * All Songs Considered * Music News * New Music * Music Features * Live Sessions * About NPR * Diversity * Organization * Support * Careers * Connect * Press * Ethics A Ryanair Flight Carrying An Opposition Journalist Is Forced To Land In Belarus The passenger flight carrying Roman Protasevich, the former editor of an opposition social media channel, made an emergency landing after reports of a bomb on board. No explosives were found. NPR logo A Ryanair Flight Carrying An Opposition Journalist Is Forced To Land In Belarus Europe A Ryanair Flight Carrying An Opposition Journalist Is Forced To Land In Belarus * Facebook * Twitter * Flipboard * Email May 23, 20212:14 PM ET Kat Lonsdorf Twitter [gettyimage] Enlarge this image A Ryanair Boeing is parked at Minsk International Airport on Sunday. Belarusian opposition activist Roman Protasevich was detained at Minsk airport after his Lithuania-bound flight made an emergency landing. AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption AFP via Getty Images A Ryanair Boeing is parked at Minsk International Airport on Sunday. Belarusian opposition activist Roman Protasevich was detained at Minsk airport after his Lithuania-bound flight made an emergency landing. AFP via Getty Images Authorities in Belarus ordered a Ryanair flight to make an emergency landing in the capital city of Minsk, after reports that a bomb was on board the aircraft. Officials then boarded the plane and arrested Roman Protasevich, the former editor and founder of an opposition blog and social media channel. No explosives were found on the plane. The flight, which had taken off in Athens and was on its way to Lithuania, was just leaving Belarusian airspace when the bomb was reported. The Belarusian regime says it then sent a scrambled fighter jet to escort the flight to the Minsk airport. The Ryanair flight made a kind of U-turn just before the Lithuanian border before heading back toward Minsk, according the site Flightradar24. It was closer to the Vilnius airport in Lithuania than Minsk at the time. PHOTOS: Belarus' Massive And Unprecedented Protests The Picture Show PHOTOS: Belarus' Massive And Unprecedented Protests The act has drawn condemnation from European leaders, demanding an explanation. Lithuania's president said the Belarusian "regime is behind the abhorrent action" and called on NATO and the European Union to respond, while Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, "We demand all passengers' immediate release." Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called the incident a "hijacking" and called for immediate sanctions on Belarus. I have asked @eucopresident to expand tomorrow's #EUCO agenda and discuss immediate sanctions against A. Lukashenka regime. Hijacking of a civilian plane is an unprecedented act of state terrorism. It cannot go unpunished. -- Mateusz Morawiecki (@MorawieckiM) May 23, 2021 U.S. Ambassador to Belarus Julie Fisher said "faking a bomb threat" and forcing the plane's landing to arrest Protasevich was "dangerous and abhorrent." Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the exiled leader of Belarus' pro-democracy movement, said Protasevich faces the death penalty in Belarus and called for sanctions against the country. Protasevich founded the blog and Telegram channel Nexta, which has tens of thousands of followers on Twitter, and played a key role in organizing anti-government protests last fall. He currently lives in Lithuania, where the Ryanair flight was headed, but is wanted in Belarus on multiple charges. From Exile, Tikhanovskaya Calls For '2nd Wave Of Protests' Against Belarus Regime Europe From Exile, Tikhanovskaya Calls For '2nd Wave Of Protests' Against Belarus Regime Belarus' authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko declared himself the winner of an election in August to his sixth term. It set off months of massive street protests, but Lukashenko has remained in power with support from Russia. The European Union and U.S. have not recognized his legitimacy and have imposed sanctions on his inner circle. NPR's Lucian Kim contributed to this report. * Belarus * Facebook * Twitter * Flipboard * Email Read & Listen * Home * News * Arts & Life * Music * Podcasts * Programs Connect * Newsletters * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Press * Contact & Help About NPR * Overview * Diversity * Ethics * Finances * Public Editor * Corrections Get Involved * Support Public Radio * Sponsor NPR * NPR Careers * NPR Shop * NPR Events * NPR Extra * Terms of Use * Privacy * Your Privacy Choices * Text Only * NPR thanks our sponsors Become an NPR sponsor *