West condemns plane’s diversion to arrest Belarus journalist
Brussels, May 24 (AP):
Western outrage grew and the European Union threatened more sanctions Monday over the forced diversion of a plane to Belarus in order to arrest an opposition journalist. The dramatic gambit apparently ordered by the country’s authoritarian president was denounced as piracy, a hijacking and terrorism.
Ryanair said Belarusian flight controllers told the crew there was a bomb threat against the plane as it was crossing through the country’s airspace and ordered it to land in the capital of Minsk. A Belarusian MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled to escort the plane — in a brazen show of force by President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled with an iron fist for over a quarter-century.
The goal was seemingly the arrest of Raman Pratasevich, an activist and journalist who ran a popular messaging app that played a key role in helping organize massive protests against the authoritarian leader. He and his Russian girlfriend were led off the plane shortly after landing. The plane, which began its journey in Athens, Greece, was eventually allowed to continue on to Vilnius, Lithuania.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the diversion ‘shocking,’ but EU leaders were particularly forceful in their condemnation of the move against the plane, which was flying between two of the bloc’s member nations and was being operated by an airline based in Ireland, also a member.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin told broadcaster RTE the diversion ‘certainly was a state-sponsored coercive act.’
‘It reflects growing authoritarianism across the world,’ Martin said. ‘These authoritarian figures taking pre-meditated decisions of this kind. … We have to respond very strong to it.’
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said it was ‘yet another blatant attempt by the Belarusian authorities to silence all opposition voices.’
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier said it amounted to a ‘hijacking,’ while Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called it a ‘state-sponsored terror act.’ As much as EU leaders have tried to bring Belarus closer, the bloc has failed so far. On Monday, ahead of a previously planned summit, some EU leaders were threatening more sanctions from scrapping landing rights in the bloc for Belarus’ national airline to exclusions from sporting events.
Pratasevich was a co-founder of the Telegram messaging app’s Nexta channel, which played a prominent role in helping organize major protests against Lukashenko. The Belarusian authorities have designated it as extremist and leveled charges of inciting riots against Pratasevich, who could face 15 years in prison if convicted.