Belarus has been chastised by Western countries for diverting a plane flying over its territory in order to apprehend a Belarusian opposition journalist.

The EU's leaders will meet to discuss how they will react to what the union's executive called a "hijacking" and the US State Department called a "shocking act."

Belarus dispatched a fighter jet to compel the aircraft, which was bound for Lithuania, to land, saying it had been threatened with a bomb.

When the passengers disembarked, police arrived and arrested Roman Protasevich.

The 26-year-old was on board a Ryanair flight departing from Athens, Greece's capital. The plane was supposed to land in Vilnius, but it was still in Belarusian airspace when it was ordered to fly to Minsk, the country's capital.

Witnesses said the protester was "super-frightened" and warned fellow travelers that he would face the death penalty, which Belarus is the only European country that still does.

Belarusian state media reported that President Alexander Lukashenko had personally ordered the transfer. More than six hours after its planned arrival, the plane landed in Vilnius.