The United States strongly condemned Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko after a RyanAir flight flying from Greece to Lithuania was forced to land in the capital city of Minsk where a journalist critical of the regime was taken off the plane:
We strongly condemn the Lukashenka regime's brazen and shocking act to divert a commercial flight and arrest a journalist. We demand an international investigation and are coordinating with our partners on next steps. The United States stands with the people of Belarus.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 23, 2021
Thread on what’s going on:
BREAKING! The regime landed @Ryanair plane, which was flying from Athens to Vilnius,in order to arrest the famous Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich. In Belarus, he faces the death penalty. Belarus has seized a plane,put passengers in danger, in order to repress an opponent pic.twitter.com/TEv22to5XM
— Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) May 23, 2021
Raman Pratasevich is a Belarusian journalist and @belamova editor. He actively covered the events of the 2020 election campaign and the subsequent protests. Belarusian security forces started several criminal cases against him, the KGB put him on the terrorist list. pic.twitter.com/merNVeHegV
— Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) May 23, 2021
Recommended
By the @nexta_tv Mig-29 fighter jet was used to "lead" the RyanAir aircraft to Minsk's airport. Reasons for such actions? Lukashenka's media report the plane was landed because of the conflict between a crew member and a passenger. Before that, they told there was a bomb. pic.twitter.com/zJlPbQzCdn
— Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) May 23, 2021
Raman Pratasevich noticed the surveillance at the airport of Athens. In his messages, he wrote that a man next to him in line at the border control tried to take pictures of his documents and then just left.
— Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) May 23, 2021
Passengers of the flight about Raman Pratasevich's detention: «At first he panicked, then calmed down a bit, but still was trembling. He said he'll face the death penalty here. He was taken aside, his belongings dumped on the runway». pic.twitter.com/aD6mjmDYIW
— Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) May 23, 2021
It's official now: the pilots landed the plane by the notification of the ACT of Belarus about the potential threat on board. pic.twitter.com/obvBWgrAaT
— Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) May 23, 2021
The world is talking about Belarus. Lukashenka's military hijacked @Ryanair plane & took Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich hostage. From now on, no one can feel safe in Belarus airspace – the regime possesses total control over it & doesn't care about the legal obligations. pic.twitter.com/Pdu2bFSqcS
— Franak Viačorka (@franakviacorka) May 23, 2021
Poland’s prime minister called for sanctions on Belarus over what he called a “hijacking” and “state terrorism”:
Poland prime minister calls for EU to discuss new sanctions against Belarus tomorrow, says “hijacking” of @Ryanair flight in order to detain oppositionist journalist is “state terrorism” https://t.co/sckwc5Y6Dy
— Henry Foy (@HenryJFoy) May 23, 2021
And EU Commission President said there will be “consequences” for this “outrageous and illegal behavior”:
The outrageous and illegal behaviour of the regime in Belarus will have consequences.
Those responsible for the #Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned.
Journalist Roman Protasevich must be released immediately.
EUCO will discuss tomorrow action to take.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) May 23, 2021
So, did Belarus get help from Russia?
Important to note that this was – if KGB involvement proved – the detention of an EU jet operated by an EU airline flying between two EU capitals.
If there was a time for the EU to show it does have a robust foreign policy and an ability to project its power, now would be it
— Henry Foy (@HenryJFoy) May 23, 2021
FWIW, Russia Today’s editor in chief said she’s envious of how Belarus acted:
Truly appalling. @RT Editor in chief Margarita Simonyan responds to the hijacking of a plane in order to kidnap a journalist by posting:
“I never thought that I would envy Belarus for anything. But now I’ve managed to envy it. (Lukashenko) performed beautifully”. https://t.co/n7fdJfupKC— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) May 23, 2021
Oh. . .
Head of Russian state-funded RT says the forced landing of a foreign passenger plane to arrest a journalist who now faces the death penalty “makes her envy” the regime in Belarus, adding that its dictator “performed beautifully” https://t.co/2L0drLZ7QF
— Henry Foy (@HenryJFoy) May 23, 2021
We’ll keep you posted.
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