Ryanair Flight 4978 had already begun its descent into the Lithuanian capital when the pilot introduced that the airplane could be out of the blue diverting to Minsk, capital of neighbouring Belarus.
There was no clarification. But one of the passengers aboard the Boeing 737 reacted instantly, standing up from his seat, reaching into the overhead locker, pulling a laptop computer pc from his hand baggage and passing it to a feminine companion alongside along with his cell phone.
What is the controversy about?
President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko compelled a industrial airline flying from Greece to Lithuania to land in its territory allegedly on the pretext of a bomb scare, so it might arrest Belurusian dissident journalist Roman Protasevich.
Who is Roman Protasevich?
He is a dissident journalist, wished in Belarus for his position in broadcasting enormous opposition protests in Minsk final 12 months.
The journalist is a outstanding opponent of Lukashenko, and had been residing in exile in neighbouring Lithuania since fleeing his dwelling nation in 2019. In November, he was charged in Belarus with inciting public dysfunction and social hatred. The regime has additionally put his title on an inventory of terrorists, and if convicted, he might face the dying penalty.
Protasevich and fellow dissident Stepan Putilo co-founded the opposition Nexta channel on Telegram, used for mobilising avenue protests.
Nexta and Nexta Live now have practically two million subscribers, managing to get spherical heavy state censorship.
According to The New York Times, Protasevich has been a dissident since his teenage years, and was expelled from a prestigious faculty in 2011 and later from the journalism program on the Minsk State University for collaborating in protest rallies.
What occurred on the Boeing 737 enroute Lithuania?
On Sunday, Protasevich was returning to Vilnius in Lithuania from the Greek capital of Athens, the place he had been attending an financial convention.
Protasevich had taken a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius, a journey that typically takes three hours. However, when the airplane approached the border between Lithuania and Belarus, a MiG-29 fighter airplane intercepted it, and made it land in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
The Irish firm Ryanair stated in a press release that its crew was “notified by Belarus (Air Traffic Control) of a potential security threat on board and were instructed to divert to the nearest airport, Minsk”, the BBC reported.
According to a press launch by Lukashenko’s workplace, the President himself gave an “unequivocal order” to “make the plane do a U-turn and land”, and authorised dispatching the fighter airplane.
It was Protasevich’s personal NEXTA that broke the information of his arrest, saying that the journalist was taken after the airplane and its passengers have been searched. After the airplane was lastly let go and landed in Vilnius, Lithuania’s defence minister Arvydas Anusauskas stated Protasevich’s girlfriend and 4 different folks had not been allowed to reboard.
What are world leaders saying?
US President Joe Biden stated the compelled diversion by Belarus of a industrial passenger jet so it might arrest an opposition journalist was a direct affront to worldwide norms “and condemned the action as an outrageous incident.”
Biden made the assertion and joined requires a global investigation because the European Union imposed sanctions in opposition to Belarus, together with banning its airways from utilizing the airspace and airports within the 27-nation bloc.
The United States joined nations around the globe in calling for his launch, in addition to for the discharge of the a whole bunch of political prisoners who’re being unjustly detained by the Lukashenka regime.
Two U.S. senators urged the Biden administration to ban U.S. airways from coming into Belarus airspace as a result of of the incident.
EU leaders mentioned the incident at a summit in Brussels.
Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, stated “the outrageous and unlawful behaviour… may have penalties”.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda urged the EU to impose fresh economic sanctions.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said actions, not words, and sanctions with “a real edge” have been wanted.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab stated Protasevich had been arrested “on the idea of a ruse” and called for his immediate release.
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