The United Nations human rights office and the United Kingdom have joined international appeals, demanding the release of a Belarusian journalist detained after a commercial jet was forced to land.
Belarus is accused of faking a bomb alert to force the plane down in Minsk, so the government critic on board could be arrested.
The European Union leaders have agreed to impose sanctions against Belarus and ban aircraft from its airspace.
Ukraine has also barred its planes from transiting and travelling to and from Belarus.
The EU has already banned Belarusian airlines from entering the bloc's airspace, and leaders are discussing further economic sanctions.
Al Jazeera's Jonah Hull reports.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish
- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera
- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#Belarus