news
How Belarus’ brazen plane diversion reflects the EU’s struggle to act as a global power Illustration: Craig Stephens
Last Sunday, a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius (two EU capitals) was forced to land in Belarus on the pretext that there was a bomb on board. People on the plane were forced to disembark, the most noteworthy being an outspoken critic of the Lukashenko regime, the journalist Roman Protasevich. He is now in detention and faces an uncertain future.
Such an act is not unprecedented. The United States and its allies have a history of diverting foreign aircraft if they suspect people of interest are on board. For instance, in 2013, the plane of then Bolivian president Evo Morales was forced to land in Austria on suspicion that Edward Snowden was on board.