Belarus faces sanctions threat over state piracy, some airlines avoid its air space
The European Union was considering responding to Sunday s incident by limiting international air traffic over Belarus and restricting its ground transport, and could tighten sanctions already in place on the former Soviet republic.
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Matthias Williams and Gabriela Baczynska / Reuters | 10:45 am, May 24, 2021 ×
A historical white-red-white flag of Belarus flies next to national flags of nations participating in IIHF World Ice Hockey Championships in Riga, Latvia May 24, 2021. REUTERS/Janis Laizans
KYIV/BRUSSELS, May 24 (Reuters) - Several airlines said on Monday they would avoid Belarusian air space after Belarus scrambled a warplane to intercept a Ryanair jetliner and arrest a dissident journalist in an act denounced by Western powers as state piracy.
Calls for sanctions as whereabouts of opposition journalist Roman Protasevich remain unknown
A Belarusian dog handler checks luggage off a Ryanair plane parked at Minsk International Airport. AFP
A Ryanair aircraft, which was carrying Belarusian opposition blogger and activist Roman Protasevich and diverted to Belarus, lands at Vilnius Airport in Vilnius, Lithuania. Reuters
Women stand with posters reading I am, we are Roman Protasevich in the arrival area as passengers disembark at the airport in Vilnius, its initial destination. AFP
A woman holds a poster reads where is Roman Protasevich?! as she waits to see passengers at the International Airport outside Vilnius. AP Photo
Belarus: E U promises retaliation after Lukashenko forces Ryan Air plane to land and detains dissident washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Belarus flight diversion âaviation piracyâ: Ireland
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DUBLIN, May 24, 2021 (BSS/AFP) â Dublin on Monday described the forced diversion of a flight operated by Irish airline Ryanair carrying a Belarusian opposition activist as a âstate-sponsoredâ act of âaviation piracyâ.
âThis was effectively aviation piracy, state-sponsored,â Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told state broadcaster RTE.
âWe cannot allow this incident to pass on the basis of warnings or strong press releases. I think there has to be real edge to the sanctions that are applied on the back of this.â
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Germany summons Belarus ambassador over forced landing and arrest
Germany summoned the Belarusian ambassador over the forced landing of a passenger flight and the arrest of a critical journalist. EU leaders are set to discuss additional sanctions against Belarus.
The plane was searched in Belarus after it was forced to land The explanations given so far by the Belarusian government for the forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk are absurd and not credible, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Monday.
The minister said Minsk needed to be transparent about the welfare of activist journalist Raman Pratasevich and his partner. He called for the immediate release of the pair.