Belarus forces airliner to land, arrests opponent, sparking U.S. and European outrage

Opposition blogger and activist Roman Protasevich, who is accused of participating in an unsanctioned protest at the Kuropaty preserve, arrives for a court hearing in Minsk, Belarus. [Reuters]

Belarusian authorities flagged what turned out to be a false bomb alert to force a Ryanair plane to land on Sunday.

The authorities then detained an opposition-minded journalist who was on board, drawing condemnation from Europe and the United States.