As world condemnation grew, the Ryanair chief accused the Belarusian government of staging a “state-sponsored hijacking.”
Tag: Belarus
Who Is Roman Protasevich, the Captive Journalist in Belarus?
Mr. Protasevich, 26, is an exiled dissident whose reach drew an authoritarian ruler into a gambit that outraged Western governments.
Your Monday Briefing
A tense peace between Israel and Hamas
Belarus Forces Down Ryanair Flight Carrying Journalist
The dissident, Roman Protasevich, co-founded a Telegram channel that is a popular opposition outlet in Belarus. The plane was flying from Athens to Lithuania when it was forced down.
Eurovision Song Contest Disqualifies Belarus Over Political Lyrics
The song’s lyrics were found to violate the competition’s rules in what critics called an endorsement of President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko’s crackdown on antigovernment protests.
Telegram Messaging App Struggles Over New Fans From Far Right
The app has helped fuel democracy movements in Iran and Belarus but now faces scrutiny as extremists and conspiracy theorists flock to it amid crackdowns by Facebook and Twitter on disinformation.
A Flying Elephant, a Teacher’s Hugs: 12 Tales of Pandemic Resilience
The virus has been crushing spirits around the world, but some people refuse to be bowed. Here are their stories.
Molchat Doma Is Fun on TikTok. In Belarus, It’s Serious.
Molchat Doma, a synth-pop trio, has become an unlikely social media star. Back home, its music was the soundtrack to a traumatic year.
In Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Deal, Putin Applied a Deft New Touch
The iron-fisted tactics used against Georgia and Ukraine seem to have fallen out of favor, replaced by a more subtle blend of soft power and an implicit military threat.
The Reign of Terror That Sustains Belarus’s Leader, Aleksandr Lukashenko
Despite hundreds of thousands protesting against him for months, Aleksandr G. Lukashenko has been able to cling to power thanks to an all-pervasive security system.