Ryanair ‘hijacking’ news: Arrested journalist makes video statement as EU to sanction Belarus

Ireland’s premier Micheal Martin has dismissed Belarusian claims that they fully complied with international aviation rules when grounding a Ryanair flight yesterday in order to arrest a dissident journalist as “nonsense” – denouncing the move as “piracy in the skies”.

“I think we all know what happened here and don't be hiding behind the rules, or don't be hiding behind excuses,” the Taoiseach said.

“You forced the plane down to arrest a journalist whose views you don't agree with, and that is contrary to any sense of decency or democratic values.”

He added: “I think it reflects a growing authoritarianism across the world but also these authoritarian leaders taking premeditated decisions of this kind, and the European Council will meet later this evening and tomorrow, and we'll have to respond very strongly.

“There has to be measures that respond to it firmly to an act of this kind, which put the crew and the passengers at risk, it put their safety at risk, this kind of behaviour it's piracy in the skies and it's just not acceptable.”

Authorities in Belarus have described claims that Belarusian KGB secret service members were on board the plane were “baseless”, despite Ryanair and the Lithuanian authorities saying that a number of individuals departed the plane at Minsk in addition to detained journalist Roman Protasevich and student Sofia Sapega.

A Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt – which Minsk airport earlier said had been delayed after it received an anonymous email suggesting a possible terror threat – has now taken off, according to a follow-up statement.

The plane had been due to depart at 14:20 local time, and took off around half an hour ago, at 16:22 local time.

European countries should punish Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko for his act of “piracy” by sanctioning oil and potash producers, said Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a former oil tycoon who fell foul of Vladimir Putin's Kremlin and now lives in London.

“Roman Protasevich must be freed and the dictator punished,” Mr Khodorkovsky told Reuters. “The dictator should be hit where it hurts the most: his wallet.”

“European countries should join U.S. sanctions against Belneftekhim and sanction Belaruskali,” Mr Khodorkovsky said, in a reference to two vast state-owned enterprises.

The whereabouts of journalist Roman Protasevich remain a mystery after he was detained at Minsk airport yesterday, opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has said.

“We still don't know where he is, and in what state. There is a high probability that he is undergoing torture by the special services at this very minute,” Ms Tsikhanouskaya told reporters in Vilnius.

Sofia Sapega, who was travelling with Mr Protasevich and was also detained in Minsk yesterday, is now in the Okrestina prison in the Belarusian capital, Ms Tsikhanouskaya said, citing reports from her relatives.

The exiled politician – who challenged Alexander Lukashenko for the presidency last year – alleged that the Russian consul in Minsk had refused to help Ms Sapega, who is a Russian citizen.

UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab will soon be taking an urgent question in the House of Commons on the Belarus flight crisis, which you’ll be able to watch live below:

Belgian PM Alexander de Croo has called for “swift and severe” steps against Belarus ahead of today’s EU summit in Brussels.

“There was a fourth package of sanctions on the financial side which should be accelerated, but then I think we should also look to something which is related to civil aviation because this is putting in danger citizens,” he told reporters.

“I hope we can come to a consensus quickly,” Mr de Croo said. “I think it is urgent to show that something like that is not ... taking place without any reaction and I think the reaction should be swift and be severe.”

Dominic Raab is making his statement in the Commons now.

The UK has seen “no evidence to support the claim of an alleged bomb threat cited as necessitating the diversion of the Ryanair flight carrying Roman Protasevich to Minsk yesterday, foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said.

“What we have seen is that Belarus scrambled a [MiG-29] fighter, forced the plane to divert to Minsk, then used this emergency landing as an opportunity to arrest a prominent journalist,” he told the Commons.

“We understand that Mr Protasevich was detained on spurious charges including involvement in riots, organisation of actions which violate public order, and incitement of hatred and discord. The UK calls for his immediate release, and the release of all other political prisoners in Belarus.”

The UK is “urgently seeking full details of precisely what took place” yesterday, Dominic Raab has said, adding: “But the scenario as reported is a shocking assault on civil aviation and an assault on international law.

“It represents a danger to civilian flights everywhere, and it is an egregious and extraordinary departure from the international law and the international practice that guides international civil aviation under the Chicago Convention.”

The foreign secretary reiterated a call for the International Civil Aviation Organisation to launch a full investigation.

Dominic Raab says he has worked with transport secretary Grant Shapps to issue a notice to all UK airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace and to suspend the national carrier Belavia’s operating permit “with immediate effect”.

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder has more details on this breaking story here: