On May 23, 2021, Belarusian authorities forced a Ryanair plane traveling from Athens to Vilnius to land in Minsk, arresting opposition journalist Raman Pratasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega. The incident sparked global outrage and led to EU and US aviation bans over Belarus.

Pratasevich was the former editor-in-chief of Nexta, a Telegram-based media network that coordinated anti-government protests following the disputed 2020 presidential election. Belarus had classified Nexta as an extremist organization.

The plane was diverted after Belarusian air traffic controllers falsely claimed a bomb was on board. The International Civil Aviation Organization later concluded the threat was deliberately fabricated.

A day after his arrest, a video showed Pratasevich with bruises, claiming he would cooperate. A German government spokesperson called his treatment disgraceful, suggesting he was under psychological and physical pressure.

In May 2023, Pratasevich was sentenced to eight years in prison but was pardoned by Alexander Lukashenko three weeks later. He was removed from the terrorist list in July. No explanation was given.

Since 2025, Belarusian state security chief Ivan Tertel has claimed Pratasevich was a foreign intelligence agent cooperating since 2020. Pratasevich now hosts a state TV show allegedly exposing opposition figures. It remains unclear whether his cooperation is voluntary or coerced.

Source: www.dw.com