Ryanair ‘hijacking’ news: Arrested journalist makes video statement as EU to sanction Belarus
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Belarusian dissident journalist Roman Protasevich has made a video statement following his arrest on Sunday, claiming he is in good health and being treated well by authorities.
In the clip, which has been said to bear “all the hallmarks of a forced confession”, Mr Protasevich says he is cooperating with state investigators after he was arrested when a Ryanair passenger jet was forced to land in Minsk.
It came after the UK government told airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace, as foreign secretary Dominic Raab said that the incident could be “an assault on international law”.
Meanwhile, EU leaders have agreed on new sanctions against Belarus following the incident, including a ban on the use of EU airspace and airports, as they called for Mr Protasevich’s immediate release.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary is among those who have accused Belarus of “piracy” and alleged that Belarusian KGB agents may have been onboard the plane.
Read more:
EU leaders to discuss Belarus airline ban, Germany’s Angela Merkel says
European Union leaders will discuss further sanctions against Belarus today, including additional black listings and a flight ban for the Belarusian airline, German chancellor Angela Merkel has said.
Upon arrival at an EU summit in Brussels, Ms Merkel said journalist Roman Protasevich and his partner, detained after a forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk on Sunday, must be released immediately.
“This is what we will demand, and we will discuss what further actions the EU can take against Belarus,” she added.
“Among these may certainly be further listings... but also the issue of a flight ban for the Belarusian airline, an international investigation and, as I already said, the release of the detained persons.”
Raab says UK will not wait for EU to issue sanctions against Belarus first
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said that the UK will not wait for the EU to issue sanctions against Belarus before it takes action.
“In the past we've led the way. We will continue to do so,” Mr Raab told reporters.
“But I do think it's important that we coordinate with our international partners to see what is the most effective means and way of applying additional pressure on the Lukashenko regime.”
He added that UK officials would not take “anything off the table” for its response, when asked about possible sanctions.
UN chief urges inquiry into ‘disturbing’ incident, spokesperson says
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres is “deeply concerned” by the interception of a plane and arrest of a dissident journalist by Belarus on Sunday, a UN spokesperson has said.
“The secretary-general supports calls for full, transparent and independent investigation into this disturbing incident and urges all relevant actors to cooperate with such an inquiry,” Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
ICYMI: Raab urges airlines to avoid Belarus airspace
The UK government has urged airlines to avoid Belarus airspace following the arrest of opposition journalist Roman Protasevich by Belarusian officials.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab told MPs on Monday that the operating permit for the Belarusian airline Belavia had been suspended over the incident.
Our political editor, Andrew Woodcock, has the full story below:
Dominic Raab urges airlines to avoid Belarus airspace after journalist arrested on Ryanair jet
Dominic Raab calls for immediate release of Roman Protasevich and political prisoners in the former Soviet state
Raab suggests it is ‘very difficult to believe’ Russia did not know about arrest plans
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said it is “very difficult to believe” that the arrest of Roman Protasevich could have taken place “without at least the acquiescence of the authorities in Moscow”.
Mr Raab said on Monday that the situation was not yet clear, but noted that the relationship between Minsk and Moscow suggested Russian leaders may have been aware of the plans in advance.
In the Commons, he told the SNP’s Alyn Smith: “We don't have any clear details on that [Russian involvement] and I'll be careful on what I say at this point.
“But, as he says, it's very difficult to believe that this kind of action could have been taken without at least the acquiescence of the authorities in Moscow, but, as I say, it's unclear as yet.”
He later told reporters that his suspicions were based on “the proximity of the relationship between Minsk and Moscow”.
The Russian government is a major backer of Alexander Lukashenko’s regime in Belarus.
EU investment for Belarus to remain frozen until country embraces democracy
A three-billion-euro EU investment package for Belarus will remain frozen until the country turns democratic, the chief of the EU’s executive has said.
“We will put pressure on the regime until it finally respects the freedom of media, the freedom of press and the freedom of opinion,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday.
Her comments came before a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels to consider imposing further sanctions on the country.
Arrested journalist is being held in jail, Belarusian ministry says
Roman Protasevich, the journalist who was detained on Sunday after a Ryanair plane was forced to land in Minsk, is being held in a jail, the Belarusian interior ministry has said.
The ministry added that Mr Protasevich had not complained of ill health.
Belarusian journalist appears for first time since arrest
Arrested journalist Roman Protasevich has appeared in a social media video claiming that he is in good health and being treated lawfully by Belarusian authorities.
In the video, Mr Protasevich says he is cooperating with state investigators and has confessed to being behind “civil disturbances” in the country.
CNN’s senior global affairs analyst Bianna Golodryga has suggested that the statement bears “all the hallmarks of a forced confession”.
Our Moscow correspondent, Oliver Carroll, has said it is clear from Roman Prostasevich’s newly-shared video that he is not in a position to object to his treatment by Belarusian officials:
You can see the moment below when a British Airways flight swerved away from Belarus following a notice to avoid its airspace:
Watch: Moment British Airways flight swerves Belarus after 'hijack'
The moment a British Airways flight swerved Belarus has been captured by plane tracking software. The aircraft had set off for Islamabad, Pakistan on a route that would usually take it over Belarus. However, in response to an earlier "hijacking" of a Ryanair flight over the country, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a notice to avoid the airspace. It's understood at the time of the CAA's ban the Boeing 777 had already taken off, and made a late change to fly over Lithuania and Latvia before landing in Moscow for what is thought to be a refuelling stop.
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