NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. prosecutors have charged four Belarusian government officials with aircraft piracy for diverting a Ryanair flight last year to arrest an opposition journalist. The charges in Manhattan federal court were announced Thursday by federal prosecutors. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a release that the defendants corrupted standards followed by countries around the world to keep passenger airplanes safe by using a false bomb threat as an excuse to divert the flight. He says the indictment provides a prompt and public explanation of what actually happened to Flight 4978. Partially in response to the diversion last May, President Joe Biden levied sanctions against Belarus.
US charges Belarus with air piracy in reporter’s arrest
