In a statement on Sunday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken demanded an international probe into the diversion of the Ryanair flight that made in emergency landing in Minsk shortly before leaving the Belarussian airspace due to reports of a bomb threat.
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
After the plane landed, exiled editor of Belamova Telegram channel Roman Protasevich, who was on board, was arrested by the Belurussian authorities.
Protasevich, who previously worked as editor-in-chief of Polish-based opposition Telegram channel Nexta Live, is wanted in Belarus on charges of inciting mass unrest as well as social enmity and discord.
The accusations stem from mass anti-government protests that rocked Belarus in the wake of the August presidential election, which were extensively covered by Warsaw-based NEXTA.
NEXTA advocated for stronger anti-government action, сourting controversy for sharing unverified information that later proved to be fake.
NEXTA has been designated an “extremist” organization in Belarus on par with Belamova, which was set up by popular blogger and US government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) consultant Igor Losik last year.
Blinken suggested that the diversion of the plane was “based on false pretenses,” demanding Protasevich’s “immediate release.”
“This shocking act perpetrated by the Lukashenka regime endangered the lives of more than 120 passengers, including U.S. citizens,” the statement read.
Senator Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey), chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined in the condemnation, calling for more sanctions to be imposed on Belarus after the incident.
“Enough is enough. The US and EU must significantly expand sanctions on Lukashenka’s dictatorship,” he charged.
Lukashenka’s forcing down a Ryanair flight with fighter jets is a brazen act of cowardice and desperation. #RamanPratasevich must be immediately released.
Enough is enough. The US and EU must significantly expand sanctions on Lukashenka’s dictatorship. https://t.co/A6Fj3x0Poq
— Senate Foreign Relations Committee (@SFRCdems) May 23, 2021
The remarks by the US politicians echoed that of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who equally did not mince words, referring to the emergency landing as “hijacking.”
“The outrageous and illegal behaviour of the regime in Belarus will have consequences,” she tweeted, hinting at possible sanctions for those who are “responsible” for the plane’s emergency stop.
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
Several European countries, including Belgium, Germany, Cyprus, Ireland, Poland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania, where former Belarussian presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who declared herself the legitimate leader of Belarus, lives in exile, expressed similar concerns over the Ryanair emergency landing and the arrest of Protasevich.
Belgian PM Alexander De Croo called the incident “unacceptable” and suggested slapping EU-wide sanctions on Belarus, including banning its national carrier Belavia from landing in the EU airports. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda backed the proposal to bar Belarussion aircrafts from landing in the EU, suggesting further “serious sanctions against the regime” for what he called “a state-sponsored terror act.” Poland summoned chargé d’affaires of Belarus to express its “firm protest” against the emergency landing, noting that the jet is owned by the company registered in Poland.
Adding fuel to the fire, there were reports carried by a Telegram channel considered to be close to the Belarussion government that Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko personally ordered a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the plane to the Minsk airport.
In its statement, Ryanair made no mention of the reported escort, noting only that “the aircraft landed safely” and that “security checks were completed by local authorities” after the passengers disembarked.
The company said that the decision to divert to the Minsk airport was made after Belarussin air traffic control (ATC) notified the crew of “a potential security threat on board.”
Source: RT