Perhaps Roman Protasevich allowed himself a nostalgic moment, as Ryanair flight 4978 from Athens to Vilnius flew over his homeland, Belarus, last Sunday afternoon.

The 26-year-old opposition social-media activist hadn’t been back home in more than two years, since fleeing across the border to Poland in 2019 and claiming asylum. As he looked down over Belarus’ lush forests and plentiful lakes, it’s easy to imagine a spasm of homesickness briefly overwhelming his usual feelings of anger and frustration at the oppressive 27-year reign of President Alexander Lukashenko.