THE STANDARD
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By Reuters | May 25th 2021
Opposition blogger and activist Roman Protasevich, who is accused of participating in an unsanctioned protest at the Kuropaty preserve, arrives for a court hearing in Minsk, Belarus. [Reuters]
Belarusian authorities flagged what turned out to be a false bomb alert to force a Ryanair plane to land on Sunday.
The authorities then detained an opposition-minded journalist who was on board, drawing condemnation from Europe and the United States.
In what was described by some EU leaders as a hijacking, the passenger plane flying from Athens to Lithuania was suddenly diverted to Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
I’m begging the whole world to save him : Mother of Belarus journalist Roman Protasevich makes emotional plea for help getting him released from Minsk jail where he is being held after being seized in Ryanair hijacking
Roman Protasevich, 26, has appeared on state TV - the first time he has been seen since his arrest on Sunday
Dissident journalist said he is cooperating with police, is being treated within the law and has confessed
But father Dzmitry said it seems his son s nose is broken and he is wearing makeup to hide bruising on his face
His mother Natalia has begged the international community to save her son over fears he will be killed
NationofChange
Recall the tale of Bolivia President Moralesâ plane in 2013?
The gold standard for shamelessness has long been the guy who murders his parents and then pleads for the mercy of the court because heâs an orphan.
The U.S., as well as the lickspittle NATO nations of Europe, have pretty much topped this hypothetical example with a real one. They accomplished this by going into high dudgeon over Belarus President/dictator Alexander Lukashenkoâs ruse of warning of a bomb on a U.K. Ryanair passenger jet flying from Greece to Lithuania and sending Belorus fighter jets to intercept and âescortâ and divert the plane to a landing in Minsk. There his police conducted a comic âsearchâ for the nonexistent threat and then arrested a critical Belarus journalist who was on board.
Andrey Sapega and Anna Dudich, parents of Sofia Sapega who was arrested in Minsk on Sunday alongside her boyfriend Roman Protasevich, have spoken of their fears that she will be tortured in jail.
May 25, 2021 09:17:43 am
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the actions of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko Sunday in detaining opposition journalist Roman Protasevich.
Lukashenko’s security forces allegedly reported a false bomb threat on a Ryanair flight from Athens, Greece, to Vilnius, Lithuania. The flight was forced to redirect outside of EU airspace to Minsk, where Belarusian security forces arrested Protasevich. According to the BBC, Protasevich’s girlfriend Seofia Sapega was also arrested. Sapega is a Russian citizen studying in Lithuania.
Blinken demanded Protasevich’s immediate release and stated:
Independent media are an essential pillar supporting the rule of law and a vital component of a democratic society. The United States once again condemns the Lukashenka regime’s ongoing harassment and arbitrary detention of journalists. We stand with the Belarusian people in their aspirations for a free, democratic, and prosperous future and support t