Despite what some trolls here are telling, this is unprecedent!
Even Soviets did not do this.
Basically kidnaping civilian airplane and detaining passenger(s), by the Belarus state!
There are protests in Belarus regarding stolen election last Summer. This gentleman was one of the organizers and independent journalist. Like many opposition leaders of Belarus, like the Belarus elected President, he was hiding abroad.
Belarus dictator Lukashenko is cracking on any dissent. People are put to jail for like 20 years just for peaceful protest. And many of them died under suspicious circumstances.
No, in this case there are good guys and bad guys. And Lukashenko is NOT the good guy!
Belarus is the least free country in Europe, also one of the poorest. Lukashenko is the last dictator.
By the way - Belorussian is a language.
The area used to be part of Poland, eventually conquered by the Russia during the triple division of Poland (18th century). Before WWII western half of Belarus belonged to Poland, but was again stolen by Stalin, who created so called Belarus SSR. Belarus language is actually 50-50 mix of Polish and Russian, both Polish and Russian speakers have no trouble understanding.
But Lukashenko is dead set to be part of Russia. He seems mostly speaking just Russian.
Never said Lukashenko is a good guy. Not many of ‘em around, ... anywhere.