Why Would Belarus Force Down A Civilian Airliner to Capture a Dissident Journalist?
Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters · Global Dispatches
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Show Notes
On Sunday May 23rd a Belarusian fighter jet intercepted a civilian Ryan Air flight and forced it land in Minsk, Belarus. Authorities promptly arrested a dissident journalist onboard and his girlfriend.
Often described as "Europe's Last Dictator," this incident was an audacious example of the lengths that the regime of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko would go to silence opposition voices and dissidents.
Guest: Sofya Orlosky, senior program manager for Europe and Eurasia at Freedom House.