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LAST UPDATE | 25 May 2021
BELARUS’S REGIME WAS increasingly isolated today as Europe cut air links and calls grew for more action over its diversion of an airliner and arrest of a dissident on board.
Afer weathering a wave of protests and Western sanctions last year, President Alexander Lukashenko was facing extraordinary new pressure over Sunday’s rerouting of the Ryanair flight to Minsk and arrest of opposition journalist Roman Protasevich.
More Western leaders joined calls demanding Protasevich’s release, afer the European Union agreed at a summit yesterday to ban Belarusian airlines from the bloc and called on EUbased carriers not to fly over its airspace.
Air France, Finnair and Singapore Airlines became the latest carriers to suspend flights over Belarus, following Scandinavian airline SAS, Germany’s Lufhansa and Latvia-based regional airline airBaltic.
Opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said the international community needed to go further, urging the United States to take action in a call with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Speaking to reporters in Vilnius where she lives in exile afer a disputed election last August, Tikhanovskaya called for “comprehensive” international measures to force the regime to give up power. “This is the time to act,” she said.
Suspension of flights over Belarus doesn’t solve the real problem. The problem is the terrorist regime that rigged elections last year.
The Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN) said today it was withdrawing export guarantee offers for deals involving two state-owned Belarusian companies, citing failure to live up to human rights standards.
The guarantee offers, which totalled two billion Swedish kronor (€197 million), concerned the sale of gas turbines from a Swedish subsidiary of Germany’s Siemens and state-owned Belarusian energy companies RUE Minskenergo and RUE Brestenergo.
Call to join G7 summit
Tikhanovskaya asked for the Belarusian opposition to be invited to next month’s G7 summit in Britain, an initiative that sources close to French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris supported.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined calls for Protasevich to be released, warning: “Belarus’s actions will have consequences.”
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya / TwitterI am grateful to @EmmanuelMacron for his call to invite Belarusian democratic forces to the @G7 summit in 🇬🇧. During my call with @JY_LeDrian yesterday, I proposed to include me to the summit. Thankful to 🇫🇷 for the continuous support of Belarusians. pic.twitter.com/u4DrXw8btB
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) May 25, 2021
The UN rights ofice also demanded the immediate release of Protasevich and his Russian
girlfriend Sofia Sapega, who was also arrested afer the Athens-to-Vilnius flight landed in
Minsk.
EU leaders on Monday warned they would adopt further “targeted economic sanctions”
against the Belarusian authorities to add to the 88 regime figures and seven companies on a blacklist.
Lukashenko and his allies are already under a series of Western sanctions over a brutal
crackdown on opposition protests that followed his disputed re-election to a sixth term last August.
Protasevich, 26, was a co-founder of the Nexta Telegram channel, which helped organise the protests that were the biggest challenge to Lukashenko’s long rule. He had been living between Poland and Lithuania.
Belarusian state television late on Monday broadcast a 30-second video of Protasevich
confirming that he was in prison in Minsk and “confessing” to charges of organising mass
unrest.
‘Not his words’
The footage showed Protasevich – who could face 15 years in jail – with dark markings visible on his forehead, saying he was being treated “according to the law”.
US President Joe Biden said the video appeared to have been made “under duress”. He
welcomed the EU moves and said Washington was looking at “appropriate options to hold accountable those responsible.”
Protasevich’s father Dmitry Protasevich told AFP in Poland that it looked like his son had
been harmed and was under pressure.
“He would never speak like that. Those were not his words… he was reading something out that he was told to read out,” he said.
Minsk said it had reacted to secure the flight afer receiving a bomb threat, supposedly from Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, but European leaders dismissed the claim as implausible.
The transport ministry today released a transcript of the call between Minsk air trafic control and the Ryanair flight, in which the crew was told “you have a bomb a board” and urged it to land in Minsk.
Lukashenko – who scrambled a Belarusian fighter jet to intercept the Ryanair flight – has remained defiant in the face of sanctions with help from his main backer Russia.
Coveney
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney held separate meetings at Shannon Airport with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan yesterday.
The men discussed the situation in Belarus, among other issues.
Great conversation with Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defense @simoncoveney today. We discussed Ireland’s role in the UN Security Council, the outrageous diversion of a Ryanair flight in Belarus to arrest a journalist, and shared foreign policy priorities. pic.twitter.com/8QsRVjoJ4g
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 24, 2021
Coveney tweeted that it was “great to meet” with the Secretary of State, who was on his way to Israel. He said they had “really constructive” discussions on Belarus, EU-US relations, the Middle East peace process and the Iran Nuclear Deal.
Had a very warm meeting with US National Security Adviser @JakeSullivan46 tonight in @ShannonAirport - covered #Brexit, NI, MEPP, #Syria, #Belarus, EU/US relations, Cyber, bilateral relations & of course his family in Skibbereen.
— Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) May 24, 2021
🇮🇪🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/NONjyuGCkO
Coveney discussed similar issues with Sullivan, he said.
‘Belarusians cannot afford flights’
Moscow has dismissed the outrage in the West, saying Belarus was acting reasonably and
within the law when the plane was diverted.
Last year’s protests gripped the country for months, with tens of thousands taking to the
streets to denounce Lukashenko’s regime.
The 66-year-old leader has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for over two decades and
responded to the demonstrations with a violent crackdown, detaining thousands, many of whom reported torture and abuse in custody.
Many protest leaders – including Tikhanovskaya who claimed victory in the August vote – fled the country and the demonstrations have dwindled.
Authorities have imposed a series of jail sentences on organisers, participants and journalists over the protests, including seven activists who were sentenced Tuesday to jail terms of four to seven years.
On the streets of Minsk, many opposition supporters welcomed the flight bans, saying
Belarusians were largely unable to travel anyway and more pressure was needed for change.
“An ordinary Belarusian will not sufer from this. Ordinary Belarusians cannot aford flights,” said Valentina, a retired teacher who like others who spoke to AFP was afraid to give her last name.
Severin, a blogger, said such moves were needed to force the regime to accept the results of last August’s vote.
Should crimes be ignored so that someone can go on business trips or to resorts? Not when war is declared. And war has been declared on us since August 9 last year.
- © AFP 2021, with reporting by Órla Ryan
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This gets sanctions? But Israel blow up children and get nothing!
@Clodagh Nic L: precisely
@Clodagh Nic L: politics is not as clear and simple as you would like. However if you want to support the people of Palestine, I would suggest that people stop buying products that are manufactured or produced in Israel and particularly those that come from the occupied areas. A small move but when the Dunnes stores worker stopped handling South African goods, I’m sure she never thought it would become part of the dismantling of apartheid there. Small actions can have huge consequences.
@Clodagh Nic L: do you hold hamas to the same standards? a country has a right to defend themselves at any cost. At least Israel gives warnings. Still not good enough though when innocent civilians are been targeted. And the last time I checked, this article is not about fxxking Israel. Stay on topic
@Alan Richard Scott Jr.: all related as it’s international pressure on wrongs committed by other countries.. both should be held accountable. The Palestinian crisis is apartheid the same as South Africa. Oppressed people fight back, it’s happened throughout history, so no I don’t hold hamas to the same standards as they are a homemade resistance army. Yes, no life should be lost but in context, no group of humans has ever sat quietly to be wiped out. When Human Rights are delivered, groups such as Hamas will turn political, just as happened on our own island.
@Clodagh Nic L: wow your actually more or less defending hamas and calling them freedom fighters. If hamas stop targeting Israel and using men, woman and children as human shields. If Israel actually wanted to, this conflict would be over tomorrow with Hamas extinct. the Palestinian people should be able to have proper representation and not ruled by terrorists. Both sides need to make sure civilians and such are not been targeted. Hamas is not fighting for a human rights chase, they are committing war crimes to boost their political standing. A recent video showed video showed the hamas leadership celebrating missile launches from a party in Qatar, these people are out of hands way, they leave their foot soldiers, often young and desperate with no employment prospects to launch att
@Alan Richard Scott Jr.: Not at any cost.
@Clodagh Nic L: not really the same thing as the Palestinians launched missiles at Israel. I’m not condoning the treatment of Palestine but hijacking a civilian airliner is different
@Clodagh Nic L: Whataboutery, the curse of the proletariat and the last refuge of the scoundrel. I can imagine similar posts if social media existed in Nazi times blaming the British. So sad to see it still thrives despite all the money we’ve invested in education.
@Alan Richard Scott Jr.: Hmmm, I’m not so sure I believe that Hamas deliberately place children in the way of Israeli bombs. Did it ever cross your mind that this is just a spin Israel put on it in the same way the US and the UK did when they went on that slaughter campaign in Iraq? I mean we have to believe what democratically elected Governments in the West tell us over the Government’s of Iraq, Gazza or any middle east country that doesn’t toe the western line I assume?? From what I can see both countries in this conflict are ruled by terrorists!
@JG: will make little difference to Israel a country that has deep pockets unlike South Africa at the time
The influential and wealthy Jewish community in the US will never see their country destitute and they have many other supporters from other nations .
@Clodagh Nic L: and gaza blows up israel and you get nothing.. And irish traveller children, living in rat infested filth are ignored.
@Tom Leddy: oh god tokbstop would ya. You know a large amount of Palestinian dead were caused buy 1/4 of the 3000 plus hamas rockets that fell on Gaza. You do realise that hamas execute gay people. Christ what is this? silly season I think. Yes hamas are documented to use humans shields. You seem biased which is fine. Some of us see the truth. I don’t condone Israel in what they regard as their settlement expansion of what was originally Jewish lands which Jew bought from ottomans. But they absolutely have the right to defend themselves. I do but Israeli when I’ve the chance. They do nice fruits. Simple support but I give what I can
@Tom Ripley: Some other of us see the ACTUAL truth Tom, thanks very much. And don’t come back saying you see the real actual truth, caus I see the honest real actual truth. So. There.
@Tom Ripley: pony
@Quentin Moriarty: I wouldn’t be too sure about that. I hear your point but they can’t rely on the US indefinitely and the US is, let’s say, altering slightly it’s love affair with Netanyahu.
@Alan Richard Scott Jr.: You want to see Hamas lose its power/influence?easy all Israel has to do is let the international community have access to Gazza why are they so against it?(rethorical question) the same reason they blew the AP building which apparently was used by Hamas only videos & testimonies from journalists from all over the world rebuffed those claims.
@Alan Richard Scott Jr.: i didn’t know you were working as a content moderator for this site wait what? you’re not well in that case stop telling people which topics they can or cannot discuss!
@Tom Ripley: “bought from the Ottoman”speak of rewriting history what people call Israel today was you’re right part of the Ottoman Empire (known today as Turkey) but after siding with the losing side during the first WW1 in 1917 it came under the control of the league of nations (precursor of the UN) and under the administrative control of Britain in 1917 with the Balfour declaration(Balfour was an influential british jew) decided to create a national home for Jews in Palestine in 1917 in return Lord Rotchild bankrolled what is now known as the UN since then not only did Israel has been illegally expending but also practiced ethnic cleansing.
Meanwhile this is Biden’s 3rd administration and he still hasn’t closed down Guantanamo Bay. Not one apology to the those that were tortured and raped by American soldiers. Some were as much as 17 years there before being released without charge.
700+ interned – many kidnapped and brought via Shannon airport. Only 8 charged and of those 3 were overturned.
US injustice supported by Irish government.
@Peter McGlynn: Meanwhile do you have any opinion or comments on the Protasevich story?
What happened here was obviously shocking, and the European commission are vocally not happy, pity they weren’t as vocal when it came to the bombings in Palestine
@Ger Murray: or the irish traveller children living in dire conditions
@Victor Feldman: who’s fault is that?
Good old sleepy Joe ,a day late with a scripted response…
@Eddie Michael: a quick google search will show you a few things, firstly the US media reported his response yesterday which was given after the EU announced sanctions, difficult for him to comment any sooner than that and secondly from yesterday’s Washington Post “Last August, months before President Biden won his own presidential vote, he took a stand over Belarus.” Not so sleepy really.
@Eddie Michael: Better him than that other fruit cake who is still in denial, rules with an iron fist, has split the Republican party and is a major threat to democracy in the US.
@Eddie Michael: you’ll enjoy this. About a year ago today, the US covid death toll hit the 100,000 mark. Remember that beautiful day that ol’ bone spurs said would come when it would all just blow away? That would have been about four weeks prior to this. Or the bleach/ bright light/ hydroxi methods he espoused? Biden might be a day late, but at least his brain exists in our dimension. Back in your dozy box, pal..
@Charles Coughlan: you’ll enjoy this. About a year ago today, the US covid death toll hit the 100,000 mark. Remember that beautiful day that ol’ bone spurs said would come when it would all just blow away? That would have been about four weeks prior to this. Or the bleach/ bright light/ hydroxi methods he espoused? Biden might be a day late, but at least his brain exists in our dimension. Back in your dozy box, pal..
@Eddie Michael: I love how those first four words tell me exactly who you are, your fashion sense and what you most likely spend you day doing…
@Adrian O’Donnell: brilliant response. Fair play to you.
Looks like we don’t have to go to Belarus to find journalists being censored. I see an episode of David McWilliams podcast dealing with the Middle East crisis was deleted by Apple!
@Thomas O’ Donnell: That’s mad! If it’s the episode I think you are referring to it was fairly safe content and could neither be seen an antisemitic nor islamophobic. Essentially putting forward the notion that moderates among both Arab and Jewish Israelis were starting out towards a more peaceful Israel until the extremists on both sides decided to kick off and disrupt the move towards peace.
@JG: where did you read about Daly & Wallace and Sinn Fein ?
Surely you mean Wallace and Helmet.
@John Cassin: Gromet
@: SF support hamas, that’s a open secret.
@JG: where did you read this?
Good man Joe,now how about some of the same for other outrageous acts being carried out by your friends in the middle east.
There is a Belarusian consulate on Fitzwilliam square, they have phone line and email. Feel free to send them quick question about mr Protasevich and his wellbeing. Them regimes like tidy email boxes….
@JustMeAgain: that is not the consulate , but a visa service. The honorary consul is in Rathdrum. I hope he sees fit to drop his role and business ties
Lukashenko is an @ss
EU did the same to Eva Morales flight in 2013, forced it to land, thinking Eric Snowden was on board.
Such double standards
Could the pilot not hold his nerve and keep going….
@Aire Dezamba: best not to risk it with a flight full of innocent people. Yer man’s an actual dictator, he could well decide to shoot the plane down.
@Aire Dezamba: a pilot in this scenario would be told to land. Its the same as driving thru a country, if the police of that country try to pull you over, do you day no and keep going? Legally he was in their country..
@Jon Shannow: say no ***
@Aire Dezamba: You might be watching too many Bruce Willis movies.
@Ernie Gallagher: He would never shoot down a passenger airplane. Try that and he’s end up in the Hague very quick……sometimes you need to play good poker
@Aire Dezamba: You’re assuming that the pilot knew who they had on board, opposition journalist Roman Protasevich and the reason for the diversion. It’s more likely, the pilot thought the bomb scare was a hoax but had to follow the procedure. Having a jet fighter escort a plane isn’t unusually since 9/11.
This could be a start of a war if russia involved. Scary times
@billy bound:
There’ll be no war!
Vlad is many things but he’s not a youknowwhat! Painful trade sanctions are what’s required, although this may not be effective as Rus provides EU with gas and could reciprocate by turning off pipelines if it gets hot and heavy!
The UK Govt could certainly help calm things down by immediately stopping being total youknowwhats cosying up to Rus, just for their money and instead work with EU, with a view to rejoining when it sees Brexit is never going to work effectively but only destroy its own economy.
The European Geography lessons will eventually resonate with current uninformed souls in Govt there, and the serious people will turn on Johnson and oust him, when they have enough of his antics,
UK must get serious again before it’s too late.
@JG: Dont believe everything you read on the interweb. That is NOT confirmed.
https://twitter.com/DonnachaMaguire/status/1396773831256203266
Snowden I recall us forced a plane suspected of carrying him down in Austria lucky for him was not o to it
What sort of security does Ryan Air operate..How did this country know this man was on the Flight
So, Boris says “there will be consequences”? I recall that other buffoon Haig, uttering the same phrase after the invasion of Crimea. What consequences…..we’re still waiting.
Please sigh this petition. Ronan and Sofia lives are in great danger: http://chng.it/kFwJkSjD
The downing of the Ryanair flight by Belarus is drawing comparisons to the U.S.–backed downing of a flight by European officials in 2013 carrying Bolivia’s then-President Evo Morales. Morales’s plane was forced to land in Vienna after taking off from Moscow, amid rumors that NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden was aboard. Ed Snowden tweeted Monday, “Downing aircraft to pursue the arrest of dissidents has always been outrageous. It is the modern expression of Bush-era ‘extraordinary rendition’ (international kidnapping by state agents), and should be opposed no matter the flag under which it occurs.”
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