Warsaw judge orders arrests of three Belarusians over 2021 Ryanair forced landing

September 6, Pozirk. Two days ago, the District Court of Warsaw ordered the arrest of three Belarusian nationals, considered responsible for the forced landing of the Ryanair flight in Minsk in May 2021, Gazeta Wyborcza reports.
Two Belarusian regime critics, opposition blogger and activist Raman Pratasievič and his girlfriend Sofya Sapega (Safija Sapieha), were arrested during the incident, which forced European Union’s airlines to stop flying over Belarus, while Belarusian carriers were barred from entering the bloc’s airspace.
Polish prosecutors accused former head of Belarusian air transportation agency Leanid Čuro, chief air traffic controller Jaŭhien Cyhanoŭ and an unnamed KGB officer of committing a terrorist act by misleading Ryanair crew, taking control of the aircraft and unlawfully detaining the crew and passengers.
The charge carries a penalty of up to 12 years in prison. The court ruling clears the way for international arrest warrants.
- EconomyBelarus’ employment rate declines 1.3 percent in Q1The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyFIBA authorizes Belarus U21 team to compete in Youth Nations LeagueThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsEU sanctions Belarusian Oil Company, Belarus-China defense companyThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyLithuanian man arrested after picking up Belarusian cigarettes at border fenceThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsLatvia accounts for 70 percent of all irregular Belarus-EU crossings since JanuaryThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsEuropean General Court rules some sanctions on businessman Šaŭcoŭ unlawfulThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security, SocietyViciebsk police to hold command staff exercise on FridayThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsZelensky warns against deeper Belarus involvement in Russia’s war on UkraineThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsSix groups running for opposition Coordination Council branded “extremist”The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- EconomyRubel keeps rising against US dollar, euro, yuanThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Society
- PoliticsSeimas extends national sanctions against Russia, BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyBelarus’ opposition seeks cooperation agreement with Lithuania’s SeimasThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityBelarus to draft about 10,000 in the army this springThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarus puts six more exiled activists on trial in their absenceThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- SocietyInterior minister: law enforcers monitoring all sectors for corruptionThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyŁatuška raises pension access problems for Belarusian exiles at CoE levelThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyMinsk and Smalavičy rank in top five Belarusian cities – studyThe material is available only to POZIRK+


