The United Nations' aviation agency has blamed senior Belarusian officials for a hoax that grounded a Ryanair flight and led to the arrest of a dissident journalist last year.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which had previously said it did not know who was behind the hoax, condemned authorities in Minsk, where the plane was grounded, for "committing an act of unlawful interference" which contravened aviation rules.
The ICAO helps the 193 UN members share their skies for their mutual benefit.
Wait, what happened?
Ryanair Flight 4978 was on its way from Athens to Vilnius on May 23, 2021, when Belarusian controllers ordered it to land in Minsk.
They claimed they had received information that there was a bomb on board.
Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich, a prominent opponent of Belarus' President, was a passenger on the flight alongside his then-girlfriend Sofia Sapega.
Protasevich was wanted in Belarus for his role in broadcasting huge opposition protests in Minsk in 2020.
The plane was diverted to Minsk National Airport.
What happened next?
Once the plane was on the ground, Protasevich and Ms Sapega were detained.
Checks of Protasevich's luggage using sniffer dogs turned up nothing and passengers on the plane described hours spent waiting with no information.
Shortly after, Protasevich appeared in the first of several videos aired on state television.
The journalist was sitting in a detention facility during the brief clip in which he said he was in good health and acknowledged having played a role in organising mass disturbances.
The European Union called for Protasevich's immediate release, with the head of the European Commission and the Polish Prime Minister describing the incident as a hijacking.
What has the UN aviation agency done?
The ICAO on Tuesday released a statement that said the Belarusian government "committed an act of unlawful interference" which contravened aviation rules.
In a statement citing new information the agency said:
"The ICAO Council acknowledged that the bomb threat against (the flight) … was deliberately false and endangered its safety, and furthermore that the threat was communicated to the flight crew upon the instructions of senior government officials of Belarus."
How has the international community reacted?
Russia's representative strongly objected to the council's conclusion that Belarus was to blame for the unlawful diversion, according to the ICAO.
Western nations have imposed sanctions against Minsk for supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Belarusian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ICAO statement.
Minsk previously said it acted legally and in accordance with all international norms, and accused the West of using the episode to try to undermine President Alexander Lukashenko.
What happens from here?
Belarus later convicted Ms Sapega of "inciting social hatred" and sentenced her to six years in prison.
Protasevich, the former editor of a prominent opposition news outlet, renounced his political activism and was released from jail into house arrest.
The opposition in Belarus believes his recantation was coerced.
In terms of next steps, the ICAO has been directed to send its report findings to all of its member states, report the breach to the ICAO assembly during its upcoming session, and to post the report for public and media access on the agency's website.
The council is also expected to forward the report to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres for "any appropriate action".
