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Belarus forces airliner to land and arrests opponent, sparking U.S. and European outrage

Belarusian authorities scrambled a fighter jet and flagged what turned out to be a false bomb alert to force a Ryanair plane to land on Sunday and then detained an opposition-minded journalist who was on board, drawing condemnation from Europe and the United States.

In what was described by some EU leaders as a hijacking, the passenger plane flying from Athens to Lithuania was suddenly diverted to Minsk, the capital of Belarus, escorted there by a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet. On its landing, authorities took journalist Roman Protasevich into custody.

Protasevich had his head in his hands and was shaking when he realised the flight was headed for Minsk, Lithuania’s Delfi news outlet said, quoting a passenger. Later, as he was led away, according to the report, he remarked: “I’ll get the death penalty here.” Reuters could not verify the report.

The 26-year-old journalist worked for Poland-based online news service NEXTA, which broadcast footage of mass protests against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko last year via the Telegram messenger app at a time when it was hard for foreign media to do so.

Protasevich who now works for a different Telegram channel called Belamova, is wanted in Belarus on extremism charges and stands accused of organising mass riots and of inciting social hatred, allegations he denies.

Data from the flightradar24.com website showed the plane was diverted just two minutes before it was due to cross into Lithuanian airspace. After seven hours on the ground, the plane took off and finally landed in Vilnius where Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte was waiting to meet the passengers.

As European officials threatened new sanctions on Belarus, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the forced landing and arrest a "shocking act," demanded Protasevich's immediate release and said President Joe Biden's administration was "coordinating with our partners on next steps."

EU member state Lithuania, where Protasevich is based, urged the European Union and NATO to respond.

Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU’s executive European Commission, said Protasevich must be released immediately and that those responsible for “the Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned,” adding EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Monday would discuss what action to take.

'ACT OF PIRACY'

U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez issued a statement with the heads of seven European parliamentary foreign affairs panels denouncing the forced landing as "an act of piracy." They called for a ban on all overflights of Belarus, including to and from the country, and for NATO and EU states to impose sanctions and suspend Belarus' "ability to use Interpol."

Blinken demanded a "full investigation" of an action he said endangered the lives of the passengers, including U.S. citizens.

"Given indications the forced landing was based on false pretenses, we support the earliest possible meeting of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization to review these events," he said in a statement.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/belarus-forces-vilnius-bound-ryanair-plane-land-detain-blogger-2021-05-23/

Damnnn niggarrrr
Isoright

This issue no concern us Nigerians..
We get our own dictator for here.

Belarus
Ukraine
Russia no difference

This issue no concern us Nigerians..
We get our own dictator for here.

Am hungry

Power and corruption walks together

This is very wrong

Everywhere fights

Hmmm

The US and their allies do same every now and then. Nothing new.

When the US or their allies do it, they say is democracy. When others do it, they say tyranny.. The West and their hypocrisy!!!

Attention! Attention!! Attention!!!

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Even Buhari go fear this Belarus president

This one fit receive the Kashogi treatment o!

This is what you call an operational air force, hope Nigerian officials are observing...

Ok at least him no use juju na him brain him dey use

Highhandedness

personal59:
Power and corruption walks together

Tigerfunder12:
Power and corruption walks together

did you guys came together? shows you guys ain't walking alone.

well this is it, it every where. the world is gone tyrannical.

I don't think europ and NATO can do much except sanctions...I think they country has backing from Russia.


But that's a gangster move right there.... And I think sanctions should be hipped on the country u can't just put the lives of other passengers at risk because u want to arrest one of ur critics...

But I don't see military action although other European countries r really pissed right now and would want to give the country leader the Saddam treatment

They must bear the consequences for their foolish action. The young man has been given global recognition.