EU leaders acknowledge Belarus sanctions after plane diversion

The European Union agreed Monday to impose sanctions against Belarus, including banning its airlines from using the airspace and airports of the 27-nation bloc, amid fury over the forced diversion of a passenger plane to arrest an opposition journalist.

In what EU leaders have called a brazen “hijacking” of the Ryanair jetliner flying from Greece to Lithuania on Sunday, in addition they demanded the immediate relieve of the journalist, Raman Pratasevich, an integral foe of authoritarian Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

A brief video clip of Pratasevich, who ran a favorite messaging iPhone app that played a key role in helping organize massive protests against Lukashenko, was displayed on Belarusian state tv set Monday night, a evening after he was removed from the Ryanair flight.

Sitting at a desk along with his hands folded in front of him and speaking speedily, Pratasevich said this individual was in satisfactory health and explained his treatment in custody was “maximally correct and according to laws.” He added that he was supplying facts to investigators about organizing mass disturbances.

In their unusually swift actions in Brussels, the EU leaders also urged all EU-based carriers in order to avoid flying over Belarus, decided to impose sanctions on officials linked to Sunday's air travel diversion, and urged the International Civil Aviation Organization to start out a study into what they discover as an unprecedented approach and what some said amounted to convey terrorism or piracy.

The leaders called on the council “to adopt the necessary methods to ban overflight of EU airspace by Belarusian airlines preventing usage of EU airports of flights operated by such airlines.” Furthermore to Pratasevich, in addition they urged authorities in Minsk release a his Russian girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, who was simply removed the plane with him.

The text was endorsed quickly by the leaders who were motivated to respond with a “strong reaction” to the incident as a result of the “serious endangering of aviation safety and passengers on board by Belarussian authorities,” according to an EU official with direct knowledge of the discussions who was simply not authorized to speak publicly about the private talks.

Ryanair said Belarusian trip controllers told the crew there is a bomb threat against the plane since it was first crossing through Belarus airspace on Sunday and ordered it to property. A Belarusian MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled to escort the plane in a brazen express of force by Lukashenko, who offers ruled the united states with an iron fist for over a quarter-century.

Belarus authorities then arrested the 26-year-good old activist, journalist and prominent Lukashenko critic. Pratasevich and his Russian girlfriend had been removed the plane shortly after it landed, and authorities haven't explained where they're being placed. Ryanair Airline flight FR4978, which began in Athens, Greece, was eventually permitted to continue on to Vilnius, Lithuania.

U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident and National Security adviser Jake Sullivan brought up the issue in his call with the secretary of the Russian Reliability Council, said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. She added the administration condemned what she called the “shocking work” of diverting a trip to detain a journalist.

“It takes its brazen affront to international peace and reliability by the regime. We demand an immediate worldwide, transparent and credible investigation of the incident,” she explained, adding the U.S. was touching NATO, the EU, the business for Secureness and Cooperation in European countries, among others about next steps.

EU leaders were particularly forceful within their condemnation of the arrest and the maneuver against the plane, which was flying between two of the bloc’s member nations and had been operated by an airline located in Ireland, also a member.

The bloc summoned Belarus' ambassador “to condemn the inadmissible step of the Belarusian authorities” and said in a affirmation the arrest was just as before “another blatant attempt to silence all opposition voices in the united states."

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said “the scandalous incident in Belarus displays signs of condition terrorism and it’s unbelievable," while EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it amounted to a good “hijacking.”

EU leaders have tried to bring Belarus nearer to the bloc - to encourage democratic reforms and reduce the influence of Russia - but have failed up to now. Ahead of their summit, some EU leaders threatened even more sanctions - from scrapping landing rights in the bloc for Belarus' nationwide carrier Belavia to exclusions from athletics events.

Even prior to the EU acted, Latvia's airBaltic said it could prevent Belarusian airspace, and Lithuania’s federal government said it could instruct most flights to and from the Baltic region to avoid Belarus as well starting Tuesday.

British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps stated he instructed the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority “to demand airlines prevent Belarusian airspace to keep passengers secure.” He added he was suspending the permit allowing Belavia to operate in the U.K.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered officials to go to slice the air link with Belarus and ban Ukrainian flights via the neighbor's airspace.

The U.S. and the EU have imposed sanctions on top Belarusian officials amid months of protests, which were triggered by Lukashenko’s reelection to a 6th term within an August 2020 vote that the opposition rejected as rigged. A lot more than 34,000 persons have already been arrested in Belarus since that time, and thousands beaten.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry bristled at what it referred to as “belligerent” EU statements, insisting Minsk acted “in full conformity with international rules.”

It ordered most Latvian diplomats out of your country following the Belarusian flag was replaced Mon with the white-and-red 1 employed by the opposition at the universe ice hockey championship found in Riga, Latvia. The function was shifted from Minsk amid the foreign outcry over the crackdown.

Lufthansa said a airline flight from Minsk to Frankfurt with 51 people aboard was delayed Mon following a “security caution.” It had been allowed to depart following the plane, passengers and cargo had been searched.

On Sunday, airline flight tracker sites indicated the Ryanair flight was about 10 kilometers (6 kilometers) from the Lithuanian border when it had been diverted. There have been conflicting reviews on what accurately happened.

Belarusian transport ministry recognized Artem Sikorsky said the Minsk airport terminal had received a contact about the bomb threat from the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Lukashenko's press program said he previously ordered a fighter plane to accompany the plane after getting told of the bomb risk. Deputy air pressure commander Andrei Gurtsevich told Belarusian state Television set that the Ryanair crew made a decision to land in Minsk, adding that the fighter plane was sent “to make sure a safe landing."

But Ryanair said found in a assertion that Belarusian air site visitors control instructed the plane to divert to the capital. The plane was searched, no bomb was found.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary described the move due to “a case of state-sponsored hijacking … state-sponsored piracy.”

In an apparent mention of the Belarusian security agency that even now goes under its Soviet-period name KGB, O’Leary he told the Irish radio station Newstalk that he believes “some KGB agents offloaded from the aircraft” in Minsk.

Of the 126 persons aboard the flight initially, only 121 managed to get to Vilnius, according to Rolandas Kiskis, chief of criminal law enforcement bureau in the Lithuanian capital where an investigation has begun.

Travellers described Pratasevich's shock when he realized the plane was going to Minsk.

“I saw this Belarusian dude with girlfriend sitting directly behind us. He freaked out when the pilot said the plane is diverted to Minsk. He stated there’s loss of life penalty awaiting him there,” passenger Marius Rutkauskas explained following the plane finally found its way to Vilnius. “We sat for an hour after the landing. Then they started releasing travellers and had taken those two. We did not see them again.”

Pratasevich was a co-founder of the Telegram messaging app’s Nexta channel, which played a prominent role in helping organize the anti-Lukashenko protests.

Almost 2 million Belarusians in the country of 9.3 million persons contain followed the channel, which includes been the key conduit for organizing demonstrations and offered information how to dodge law enforcement cordons. In addition, it has run photos, video tutorial and other resources documenting the brutal law enforcement crackdown on the protests.

Belarus authorities have labeled the channel “extremist” and charged Pratasevich in absentia of inciting mass riots and fanning interpersonal hatred. He could deal with 15 years in prison if convicted.

In November, the Belarusian KGB put Pratasevich on a set of persons suspected of involvement in terrorism, an ominous signal that he could face sometimes graver charges. Terrorism is punishable by loss of life in Belarus, the simply country in European countries that maintains capital punishment.

Amid the international outrage, Moscow quickly offered a helping hand to its ally.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the episode must be investigated - but that it couldn’t be rushed. Moscow and Minsk contain close political, economical and military ties, and Lukashenko features relied on Russian support amid Western sanctions.

In a prior diversion of a passenger flight, a United Airlines flight in 2004 from London to Washington carrying the singer Yusuf Islam, better referred to as Cat Stevens, was sent to Bangor, Maine, where FBI agents met the plane and directed him back again to England. U.S. officials explained he was denied access to america on national reliability grounds. He in the future was allowed in to the U.S.