Belarus’ authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko forced an EU airliner flying within the country’s airspace to land in Minsk so on to arrest an opposition journalist onboard, prompting widespread international condemnation and western sanctions.
Opposition journalist Roman Protasevich, was aboard the Ryanair flight FR4978 from Athens to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius when it changed course to head for Minsk, in response to a bomb threat.
The press service of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said the president ordered that a MIG-29 fighter jet accompany the airliner after he was informed of the bomb threat.
Passengers onboard said Protasevich panicked on knowing that the plane had diverted to Minsk, fearing he would face the death penalty as Belarus is the only European country that still executes prisoners.
Passengers were taken off the plane in Minsk. Officials later said no explosives were found on board. But Roman was detained along with his girlfriend Sofia Sapega, a 23-year-old university student who is a Russian national. After the plane had landed in Vilnius, Lithuanian authorities reported three more passengers did not re-board.
Roman Protasevich, 26, a former editor of the favoured opposition Telegram channel NEXTA, which Belarus last year declared as extremist after it had been wont to help organise major protests against Lukashenko last summer, after he was elected to a sixth term in office in a vote widely viewed as rigged. Although protests died down during the winter, Belarus has continued to need actions against the opposition and independent journalism.
The incident has expressed alarm worldwide and since then several airlines have been ordered to avoid Belarus airspace.
While relations between the EU and Belarus have deteriorated since Lukashenko cracked down on those protesting against what they believe was a rigged presidential election last August, the country remains part of the “Eastern Partnership” between the EU and six states close to Russia’s border. EU leaders are considering new sanctions against Belarus and have also called for an investigation into the circumstances of the incident by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission called for sanctions against those responsible for “hijacking” of the Ryanair flight, and called for Protasevich to be released immediately.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken called the incident “shocking” and accused Lukashenka’s government of endangering the lives of those aboard the aircraft, some of them Americans. He called for the release of Protasevich and for the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization to review the incident.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that “such an act cannot be left without definite consequences from the side of the European Union” and called for Protasevich to be released.
A prime support for Mr. Lukashenko’s was seen in Moscow, where Russian officials and pro-Kremlin accused the West of hypocrisy. Russian parliament member Vyacheslav Lysakov called Protasevich’s arrest a “brilliant” special operation.
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