Belarus isolation deepens as flights avoid its airspace

Belarus isolation deepened Tuesday as commercial planes avoided its airspace the European Union worked up new sanctions and a senior UN official said he was concerned for the welfare of an opposition journalist arrested in Minsk after his plane was diverted there apparently on the orders of the country’s longtime strongman.

After his detention, Roman Protasevich was seen in a brief video clip shown on Belarusian state television late Monday speaking rapidly to say that he was confessing to some of the charges authorities have leveled against him.

The spokesperson for the UNs human rights office Rupert Colville said Protasevichs appearance was likely not voluntary and that he seemed to have bruising to his face though it was difficult to tell from the footage.