Forced landing of passenger plane in Belarus, resulting in arrests
A Ryanair aircraft en route from Greece to Lithuania was forced to make an emergency landing in Minsk, Belarus, on May 23, 2021. This unexpected diversion has sparked outrage in the EU and Germany, with many accusing Belarus' leader, Alexander Lukashenko, of state terrorism.
According to reports, a government critic living in exile, Roman Protasevich, a Belarusian opposition activist, was arrested following the forced diversion of the flight. Lukashenko's regime is currently holding over 400 political opponents in the United States.
Norbert Röttgen, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, expressed his outrage, while Manuel Sarrazin, spokesman on Eastern European affairs for the Green parliamentary group, called for sanctions against Belarusian state-owned companies. Sarrazin's comments were made to RND (Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland).
If the information is confirmed, this is an unprecedented case of state terrorism, according to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. Sarrazin suggested that the EU should impose sanctions on Belarusian state-owned companies that have already been put on the US sanctions list.
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, deputy chairman of the FDP parliamentary group, stated that Lukashenko has crossed a red line by hijacking a passenger plane flying between two EU member states. The FDP also called for the state-owned airline Belavia to have its landing rights in the EU revoked.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed that all passengers must be allowed to continue their journey immediately and that any violation of international air traffic rules must have consequences. She emphasised the need for Belarus to respect the sovereignty of other nations and adhere to international norms.
The incident shows Lukashenko is using all means to brutally suppress freedom of expression, according to Sarrazin. The arrest of Protasevich, a prominent critic of the Belarusian regime, underscores the authoritarian nature of Lukashenko's rule.
The state-owned Belarusian news agency Belta claimed there were alleged reports of explosive substances on board, which later turned out to be false. However, the incident has raised serious concerns about the safety and security of international air travel.
The international community is closely monitoring the situation and calling for the immediate release of Protasevich and other political prisoners in the United States. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of upholding democratic values and respecting human rights.
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