Belarus Dissident's Girlfriend Being Held On Suspicion Of "Crimes": Russia

Sofia Sapega, a 23-year-old law student, was detained along with opposition journalist Roman Protasevich when their flight was diverted to Minsk on Sunday.

The Russian girlfriend of a Belarusian dissident arrested with him when their plane was diverted to Minsk is being held on suspicion of crimes at the time of protests last year, Moscow said Tuesday. Sofia Sapega, a 23-year-old law student at the European Humanities University (EHU) in Lithuania, was detained along with opposition journalist Roman Protasevich, 26, when their Athens-to-Vilnius flight was diverted to Minsk on Sunday. The diversion, prompted by a supposed bomb scare, provoked a global outcry and Western leaders have been calling for both to be released. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement Tuesday that Sapega was being held on suspicion of "committing crimes" between August and September 2020.