Do you remember Roman Protasevich and Sofia Sapega? You should

Almost exactly a year ago, the couple were the targets of an incredible state hijack of a Ryanair passenger plane, writes David Harding

Last week, Sofia Sapega was jailed for six years for ‘inciting social enmity and discord’ (EPA)

Remember Roman Protasevich? How about Sofia Sapega?

Almost exactly a year ago, on 23 May 2021, the couple were the targets of an incredible state hijack of a Ryanair passenger plane when Belarus jet fighters intercepted a flight from Athens to Vilnius, Lithuania.

Authorities in Belarus lied and claimed there was a bomb on board, subsequently forcing the aircraft to land in Minsk. Protasevich, a vehement and brave critic of Belarusian dinosaur dictator Alexander Lukashenko, quickly twigged what was going on and claimed he would get the death penalty after the plane landed. Both were quickly arrested.