Following the arrest of Belarusian dissident journalist Roman Protasevich by way of a plane diversion, the European Union agreed to impose sanctions on Belarus, including banning its airlines from using the airspace and airports of the 27-nation bloc. This comes after the forced diversion of a passenger jet in which the opposition journalist was traveling triggered widespread criticism.
Reacting to what many Western nations called a blatant attack on freedom of expression, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said it was an unprecedented attack on the international community.
Lithuanian Prime Minister:
It is an unprecendented attack against the international community, as civilian plane and its passengers have been hijacked by military force.
Not only did EU leaders express their fury over the arrest of the dissident journalist, Raman Pratasevich, who has been a key foe of authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko, but they also demanded an immediate release of the journalist, saying they will not tolerate that one can try to play Russian roulette with the lives of innocent civilians. This, from EU Council chief Charles Michel, who presided over the EU meeting aimed at pressuring Belarus to release the arrestee immediately.
In a brief video clip featuring Protasevich, who ran a popular instant messaging app which was used to help organise protests around Belarus against Lukashenko, he said he was in satisfactory health, and that his treatment in custody was “maximally correct and according to the law.”
The EU leaders called on the EU council to actively ban all Belarusian airlines from accessing EU airports. They also ordered an immediate release of Protasevich’s girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, who was taken off the plane with him.
EU leaders described the flight diversion as a “serious endangering of aviation safety and passengers on board by Belarusian authorities.”
The flight diversion came after a bomb threat was reported in Ryanair Flight FR4978’s original destination, Vilnius in Lithuania. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko then reportedly ordered a fighter jet accompany the airplane and Belarusian air traffic controllers reportedly asked the pilot to land the plane in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
Meantime, in an effort to ostracise Belarus, at least one European airline already diverted a flight around Belarus, after EU leaders urged all EU-based carriers to avoid flying over Belarus.
In the United States, two U.S. senators also urged the Biden administration to impose a ban on flying over Belarus because of the incident. And National Security adviser Jake Sullivan raised the incident in a call with the security of the Russian Security Council.
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