IDM Short Insights 12: Lukashenka’s plane hijack to arrest a journalist

 

On Sunday, May 23 the Lukashenka regime forced a civil plane to land in Minsk due to an alleged bomb threat. Authorities arrested the Belarusian activist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend for alleged involvement in terrorism and incitement of public disorder as he was covering the opposition protests following Lukashenka’s rigged election in August 2020. EU ministers imposed further targeted sanctions and restricted air traffic over Belarus. Lisa Behrens (IDM) comments on the recent events and on the questions we as Europeans should ask ourselves concerning the situation in Belarus.