EU leaders agree on Belarus sanctions after airplane diversion

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union agreed Monday to impose sanctions in opposition to Belarus, together with banning its airways from utilizing the airspace and airports of the 27-nation bloc, amid fury over the pressured diversion of a passenger jet to arrest an opposition journalist.

In what EU leaders have known as a brazen “hijacking” of the Ryanair jetliner flying from Greece to Lithuania on Sunday, additionally they demanded the speedy launch of the journalist, Raman Pratasevich, a key foe of authoritarian Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

A quick video clip of Pratasevich, who ran a preferred messaging app that performed a key function in serving to manage large protests in opposition to Lukashenko, was proven on Belarusian state tv Monday night time, a day after he was faraway from the Ryanair flight.

Sitting at a desk together with his palms folded in entrance of him and talking quickly, Pratasevich mentioned he was in passable well being and mentioned his therapy in custody was “maximally appropriate and based on legislation.” He added that he was giving proof to investigators about organizing mass disturbances.

Of their unusually swift motion in Brussels, the EU leaders additionally urged all EU-based carriers to keep away from flying over Belarus, determined to impose sanctions on officers linked to Sunday’s flight diversion, and urged the Worldwide Civil Aviation Group to start out an investigation into what they see as an unprecedented transfer and what some mentioned amounted to state terrorism or piracy.

The leaders known as on their council “to undertake the mandatory measures to ban overflight of EU airspace by Belarusian airways and stop entry to EU airports of flights operated by such airways.” Along with Pratasevich, additionally they urged authorities in Minsk to launch his Russian girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, who was taken off the airplane with him.

The textual content was endorsed shortly by the leaders who have been decided to reply with a “sturdy response” to the incident due to the “critical endangering of aviation security and passengers on board by Belarussian authorities,” based on an EU official with direct information of the discussions who was not approved to talk publicly concerning the non-public talks.

Ryanair mentioned Belarusian flight controllers informed the crew there was a bomb menace in opposition to the airplane because it was crossing by Belarus airspace on Sunday and ordered it to land. A Belarusian MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled to escort the airplane in a brazen present of pressure by Lukashenko, who has dominated the nation with an iron fist for over a quarter-century.

Belarus authorities then arrested the 26-year-old activist, journalist and distinguished Lukashenko critic. Pratasevich and his Russian girlfriend have been taken off the airplane shortly after it landed, and authorities have not mentioned the place they’re being held. Ryanair Flight FR4978, which started in Athens, Greece, was ultimately allowed to proceed on to Vilnius, Lithuania.

U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident and Nationwide Safety adviser Jake Sullivan raised the problem in his name with the secretary of the Russian Safety Council, mentioned White Home press secretary Jen Psaki. She added the administration condemned what she known as the “surprising act” of diverting a flight to detain a journalist.

“It constitutes a brazen affront to worldwide peace and safety by the regime. We demand a direct worldwide, clear and credible investigation of this incident,” she mentioned, including the U.S. was in contact with NATO, the EU, the Group for Safety and Cooperation in Europe, amongst others about subsequent steps.

EU leaders have been notably forceful of their condemnation of the arrest and the transfer in opposition to the airplane, which was flying between two of the bloc’s member nations and was being operated by an airline primarily based in Eire, additionally a member.

The bloc summoned Belarus’ ambassador “to sentence the inadmissible step of the Belarusian authorities” and mentioned in an announcement the arrest was but once more “one other blatant try and silence all opposition voices within the nation.”

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis mentioned “the scandalous incident in Belarus reveals indicators of state terrorism and it’s unbelievable,” whereas EU Fee President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned it amounted to a “hijacking.”

EU leaders have tried to deliver Belarus nearer to the bloc — to encourage democratic reforms and scale back the affect of Russia — however have failed to date. Forward of their summit, some EU leaders threatened extra sanctions — from scrapping touchdown rights within the bloc for Belarus’ nationwide provider Belavia to exclusions from sports activities occasions.

Even earlier than the EU acted, Latvia’s airBaltic mentioned it might keep away from Belarusian airspace, and Lithuania’s authorities mentioned it might instruct all flights to and from the Baltic nation to keep away from Belarus as effectively beginning Tuesday.

British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps mentioned he instructed the U.Okay. Civil Aviation Authority “to request airways keep away from Belarusian airspace with the intention to hold passengers secure.” He added he was suspending the allow permitting Belavia to function within the U.Okay.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered officers to maneuver to chop the air hyperlink with Belarus and ban Ukrainian flights through the neighbor’s airspace.

The U.S. and the EU have imposed sanctions on high Belarusian officers amid months of protests, which have been triggered by Lukashenko’s reelection to a sixth time period in an August 2020 vote that the opposition rejected as rigged. Greater than 34,000 individuals have been arrested in Belarus since then, and 1000’s crushed.

The Belarusian Overseas Ministry bristled at what it described as “belligerent” EU statements, insisting Minsk acted “in full conformity with worldwide guidelines.”

It ordered all Latvian diplomats in another country after the Belarusian flag was changed Monday with the white-and-red one utilized by the opposition on the world ice hockey championship in Riga, Latvia. The occasion was moved from Minsk amid the worldwide outcry over the crackdown.

Lufthansa mentioned a flight from Minsk to Frankfurt with 51 individuals aboard was delayed Monday following a “safety warning.” It was allowed to depart after the airplane, passengers and cargo have been searched.

On Sunday, flight tracker websites indicated the Ryanair flight was about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Lithuanian border when it was diverted. There have been conflicting reviews on what precisely occurred.

Belarusian transport ministry official Artem Sikorsky mentioned the Minsk airport had acquired an e-mail concerning the bomb menace from the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Lukashenko’s press service mentioned he had ordered a fighter jet to accompany the airplane after being informed of the bomb menace. Deputy air pressure commander Andrei Gurtsevich informed Belarusian state TV that the Ryanair crew determined to land in Minsk, including that the fighter jet was despatched “to make sure a secure touchdown.”

However Ryanair mentioned in an announcement that Belarusian air visitors management instructed the airplane to divert to the capital. The airplane was searched, and no bomb was discovered.

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

In an obvious reference to the Belarusian safety company that also goes beneath its Soviet-era title KGB, O’Leary he informed the Irish radio station Newstalk that he believes “some KGB brokers offloaded from the plane” in Minsk.

Of the 126 individuals aboard the flight initially, solely 121 made it to Vilnius, based on Rolandas Kiskis, chief of prison police bureau within the Lithuanian capital the place an investigation has begun.

Passengers described Pratasevich’s shock when he realized the airplane was going to Minsk.

“I noticed this Belarusian man with girlfriend sitting proper behind us. He freaked out when the pilot mentioned the airplane is diverted to Minsk. He mentioned there’s dying penalty awaiting him there,” passenger Marius Rutkauskas mentioned after the airplane lastly arrived in Vilnius. “We sat for an hour after the touchdown. Then they began releasing passengers and took these two. We didn’t see them once more.”

Pratasevich was a co-founder of the Telegram messaging app’s Nexta channel, which performed a distinguished function in serving to manage the anti-Lukashenko protests.

Practically 2 million Belarusians within the nation of 9.3 million individuals have adopted the channel, which has been the primary conduit for organizing demonstrations and supplied recommendation on the right way to dodge police cordons. It additionally has run pictures, video and different supplies documenting the brutal police crackdown on the protests.

Belarus authorities have labeled the channel “extremist” and charged Pratasevich in absentia of inciting mass riots and fanning social hatred. He may face 15 years in jail if convicted.

In November, the Belarusian KGB put Pratasevich on an inventory of individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism, an ominous signal that he may face even graver prices. Terrorism is punishable by dying in Belarus, the one nation in Europe that maintains capital punishment.

Amid the worldwide outrage, Moscow shortly supplied a serving to hand to its ally.

Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov mentioned the episode must be investigated — however that it couldn’t be rushed. Moscow and Minsk have shut political, financial and army ties, and Lukashenko has relied on Russian assist amid Western sanctions.

In a earlier diversion of a passenger flight, a United Airways flight in 2004 from London to Washington carrying the singer Yusuf Islam, higher referred to as Cat Stevens, was despatched to Bangor, Maine, the place FBI brokers met the airplane and despatched him again to England. U.S. officers mentioned he was denied entry to the USA on nationwide safety grounds. He later was allowed into the U.S.

Isachenkov reported from Moscow and Petrequin reported from Brussels. Related Press writers Liudas Dapkus in Vilnius, Lithuania, Sylvia Hui and Jill Lawless in London, David Koenig in Dallas, Alexandra Jaffe in Washington and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed.