U.S. Charges Belarus Officials With Piracy in Jet Diversion

Ryanair flight was forced to land in Belarusian capital
U.S. says officials invented bomb threat to arrest dissident

A Boeing 737-8AS Ryanair passenger plane (flight 4978) from Athens, that was intercepted and diverted to Minsk by Belarus authorities, landing at Vilnius International Airport, its initial destination in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 23, 2021. — A Boeing 737-8AS Ryanair passenger plane (flight 4978) from Athens, that was intercepted and diverted to Minsk by Belarus authorities, landing at Vilnius International Airport, its initial destination in Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 23, 2021.
Photographer: Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images

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By Christian Berthelsen

January 20, 2022 at 4:54 PM EST

Updated on

January 20, 2022 at 5:52 PM EST

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U.S. prosecutors charged four Belarus officials with airline piracy over the diversion of a Ryanair flight last year that resulted in the arrest of a dissident journalist.

Ryanair 4978 was destined for Vilnius, Lithuania, on May 23 but was diverted to Minsk, the Belarusian capital, while in Belarus airspace. Belarusian authorities claimed the diversion was due to a bomb threat.