Lithuania closes Ryanair hijacking investigation as Poland takes over case
Lithuania’s prosecutor general has ended a high‑profile probe into the 2021 forced landing of a Ryanair jet in Minsk, handing the case to Polish authorities who are pursuing suspects in the hijacking and kidnapping of dissident Raman Pratasevich and his partner.
Lithuania’s Prosecutor General’s Office announced it has closed its investigation into the May 2021 Ryanair flight diversion to Minsk, saying that Poland is already conducting a parallel probe and that criminal proceedings will continue under Polish jurisdiction【993900811858586†L133-L144】. A joint Lithuanian‑Polish investigation team determined that efforts to prosecute those responsible should be concentrated in Poland【993900811858586†L142-L144】.
The Lithuanian case examined allegations of forced disappearance and aircraft hijacking after a passenger jet flying from Athens to Vilnius was forced to land in Belarus’ capital, Minsk【993900811858586†L146-L149】. When the plane landed, Belarusian security agents detained Nexta founder Raman Pratasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega, who were later pardoned after being sentenced in Belarus【993900811858586†L151-L176】. Prosecutors said transferring the case avoids double jeopardy and will allow evidence gathered in Lithuania to be used in Poland’s investigation【993900811858586†L156-L168】.