The university spokesman said Sapega and Protasevich had been on vacation in Greece together.
In what was described by some EU leaders as a hijacking, the passenger plane flying from Athens to Lithuania was suddenly diverted to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, escorted there by a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet. On its landing, authorities took opposition-minded journalist Protasevich into custody.
A Lithuanian passenger, who gave his name only as Mantas, said on hearing the news the plane was being diverted Protasevich opened an overhead locker, pulled out a laptop computer and a phone and gave them to a female companion. On landing, Protasevich was immediately separated, Mantas said.
Vilnius university says its student travelling with Protasevich also detained, demands release
A Ryanair aircraft, which was carrying Belarusian opposition blogger and activist Roman Protasevich and diverted to Belarus, where authorities detained him, lands at Vilnius Airport in Vilnius, Lithuania May 23, 2021. REUTERS/Andrius Sytas reuters tickers
This content was published on May 24, 2021 - 07:27
May 24, 2021 - 07:27
By Andrius Sytas
VILNIUS (Reuters) - A Belarusian university in Vilnius on Monday said its student Sofia Sapega, 23, who was travelling with journalist Roman Protasevich, had also been detained when their flight was diverted there from Vilnius and demanded her release.
The detention of Sapega was confirmed by her family, the European Humanities University (EHU) spokesman told Reuters.
Belarus accused of ‘state-sponsored piracy’ as Ryanair says KGB agents were on diverted plane
Ryanair slammed Belarus on Monday over what it described as a “state-sponsored hijacking” of one of its passenger planes, as new details emerged about the brazen operation to arrest a dissident journalist on board Sunday’s flight from Greece to Lithuania.
Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary accused Belarus of “state-sponsored piracy” after its flight 4978 from Athens to Vilnius was diverted by Belarusian air traffic control to Minsk over a supposed security alert.
O’Leary said Belarusian KGB agents were also on the flight that was carrying 26-year-old opposition activist Raman Pratasevich, who is wanted in Belarus on a variety of charges and was detained once the plane landed.
Sofia Sapega (above) and Roman Protasevich had been on vacation in Greece together: University spokesman
VILNIUS:
A Belarusian university in Vilnius on Monday said its student Sofia Sapega, 23, who was travelling with journalist Roman Protasevich, had also been detained when their flight was diverted there from Vilnius and demanded her release.
The detention of Sapega was confirmed by her family, the European Humanities University (EHU) spokesman told Reuters.
The university spokesman said Sapega and Protasevich had been on vacation in Greece together.
In what was described by some EU leaders as a hijacking, the passenger plane flying from Athens to Lithuania was suddenly diverted to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, escorted there by a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet. On its landing, authorities took opposition-minded journalist Protasevich into custody.