Belarusians struggle to leave amid flight crisis

As fear of repression rises among Belarusians following the arrest of a dissident journalist whose plane was forcibly diverted to Minsk, those who want to leave the country are feeling increasingly cornered.

Its land borders already are under tight restrictions, and now the European Union has banned flights from Belarus after the jetliner diversion earlier this week.

That leaves opposition-minded Belarusians with few options to get out from under the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko.

Volodymyr Yarovskyy,  human rights defender had only 48 hours to pack and leave the country with his 9-year-old son.

"I was told that I have 48 hours. That I can take the child and leave for Ukraine otherwise I will be arrested right there. And the child will be taken to the orphanage," says Yarovskyy.

Volodymyr Yavorskyy was separated from his Belarusian wife.

He was ordered to leave Belarus together with their nine-year-old son and barred from entry for 10 years.

He communicates with his wife via social media, but fears that the Belarusian authorities may move to tighten their control of the internet.

His wife Tatsiana Hatsura-Yavorska who leads a rights group that helps those released from prison adapt to life and also organizes festivals of documentary films has suffered directly, serving 10 days in jail after organizing a photo exhibition about medical workers in the pandemic that authorities decided leaned toward the opposition.

She faces charges that could land her in prison for three years.

In December, the Belarusian authorities introduced tight new restrictions for crossing the country's land border.

Those willing to do it must explain their reason, such as work, medical treatment, or education, and can only do it once in six months.

"Here is more difficult (to leave) because the checkpoints are closed (in Belarus) and there is a need to collect lots of papers (to leave) and this is dangerous," says Yuriy, who crossed into Ukraine via the land border with Belarus.

While Belarusian carriers have been purged from the EU airspace, they have continued to fly to other destinations.

Speaking upon arrival in Tbilisi, Georgia, a Belarusian who asked to be identified said "those for whom living is difficult or who are endangered are leaving."

Another Belarusian traveller, Alena, who also asked for her last name to be withheld, said people who can afford to leave Belarus do so.

"Flats are being sold, in my friend's house, three apartments were sold in one staircase. Who manages (leaves)," Alena told AP.

Fearing the arrested journalist also leave and try to establish media broadcast from the outside of Belarus.

"In case of arrest or attack someone has to remain free and continue to update media," says Barys Haretski, deputy chairman of Belarusian Association of Journalists.

According to Haretski, up to 150 journalists have left the country since the start of the protests.

Lukashenko, who has led the former Soviet nation of 9.3 million for more than a quarter-century, has faced unprecedented protests after his re-election to a sixth term in a vote in August that the opposition rejects as rigged.

He has responded to the demonstrations with a fierce clampdown that has left more than 35,000 people arrested and thousands of them beaten.