Who Is Sofia Sapega, Girlfriend Of Arrested Belarusian Journalist Detained In Minsk?

Sofia Sapega, the girlfriend of dissident Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich, was detained Sunday in Minsk. The Ryanair flight the couple was on, flying from Greece to Lithuania, was intercepted by Belarusian authorities on May 23.

In what is being globally condemned as a brazen attack on free press and the right to report, Protasevich was arrested by authorities, reportedly on the command of 'Europe's last dictator,' Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko. Sapega was detained as well, and as per her mother quoted by the BBC, is being kept at a Minsk jail.

"Mummy" was the only WhatsApp message she managed to send her mother before she was taken into custody. Sapega's detention has been confirmed by European Humanities University (EHU) in Vilnius, Lithuania, where the 23-year-old is pursuing her Masters, alongside a demand for her release.

Who Is Sofia Sapega And Why Is She Detained?

Sofia Sapega, a Russian law student, and Protasevich, a prominent critic of Lukashenko who has ruled Belarus since 1994, were on vacation together in Greece, as per reports. On May 23, they were aboard Ryanair Flight 4978 travelling from Athens to Vilnius, where Sapega was to defend her thesis at EHU. 

Belarusian fighter jets intercepted the flight amid alarms of an allegedly fabricated bomb threat, which some European Union leaders have dubbed a "hijacking," and directed it to land in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Protasevich, named on Belarus' terrorism lists, was arrested and Sapega was detained. No reasons were reportedly presented for her detention.

"As a result of a cover operation by the Belarusian authorities, the student was detained by the Administration of the Investigative Committee for the city of Minsk on groundless and made-up conditions," a statement by EHU says. "We protest against the unjustified detention of the member of EHU community."

Some reports claim Protasevich handed his girlfriend some luggage, including his laptop and mobile phone, as soon as a diversion of their flight was announced. If found guilty, Protasevich could face the death penalty.