Ryanair hijacking: Belarus journalist who was arrested says he is ‘confessing’ to crimes

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A dissident journalist facing the death penalty in his native Belarus after his plane was hijacked by the regime so he could be arrested has appeared on TV to ‘confess’ to organising mass protests – as allies say he is almost certainly being tortured.

Roman Protasevich, 26, a prominent critic of dictator Alexander Lukashenko, was arrested Sunday after a Ryanair flight he was taking with girlfriend Sofia Sapega from Greece to Lithuania was diverted by a Belarus fighter jet and forced to land in Minsk on the pretext of a bomb threat.

A video of Mr Protasevich has now appeared in which he says he is being held at ‘Detention Centre No1 in Minsk’, has no health problems and that ‘the attitude of employees towards me is as correct as possible and according to the law’ – statements that were almost certainly made under duress.

Wearing a black hoodie and with a pack of cigarettes next to his left hand, Mr Protasevich adds: ‘I continue cooperating with investigators and am confessing to having organised mass unrest in the city of Minsk.’ 

But father Dzmitry Protasevich said it appears that his son’s nose is broken in the video, and that he seems to be wearing heavy make-up to cover up bruising on the left side of his face – with some marks visible on his forehead.

‘It is very likely that his nose is broken, because the shape of it is changed and there’s much powder on the front of it, all of the left side of his face has powder, there’s some greasy stuff on the left side,’ he said, adding that ‘it’s not his pack of cigarettes on the table – he doesn’t smoke these.’

‘I think he was forced,’ Mr Protasevich Sr said. ‘It’s not his words, it’s not his intonation of speech, he is acting very reserved and you can see he is nervous.’ 

Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has been forced to appeared in similar state-sponsored videos, also said the footage was made under ‘physical and moral pressure’ and said she fears for his life 

In response to the hijacking, EU leaders have agreed new sanctions on Belarus including cutting off air travel to or from the country – with European Council president Charles Michel saying that Minsk is playing ‘Russian roulette with the lives of innocent civilians’.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen added: ‘This is an attack on democracy. This is an attack on freedom of expression. And this is an attack on European sovereignty. And this outrageous behaviour needs a strong answer.’ 

US President Joe Biden on Monday called the forced diversion of the commercial passenger jet ‘a direct affront to international norms’ and condemned the action as an ‘outrageous incident.’  In his statement, he also expressed outrage over Protasevich’s video statement that aired on Belarusian state TV. 

‘This outrageous incident and the video Mr Protasevich appears to have made under duress are shameful assaults on both political dissent and the freedom of the press,’ Biden said in a statement. 

‘The United States joins countries around the world in calling for his release, as well as for the release of the hundreds of political prisoners who are being unjustly detained by the Lukashenka regime.’

The hijacking unfolded around 9.45am local time on Sunday as Ryanair flight FR4978 was flying through Belarus airspace on its way from Athens to Vilnius, when a Belarus MiG-29 fighter jet intercepted it and ordered the pilot to divert to Minsk.

Belarus authorities claimed they had received a bomb threat from Hamas – the group which operates in Gaza – threatening to blow up the plane in the skies above Vilnius.

To keep the plane safe, Belarus authorities claimed, it should instead fly to Minsk – a journey several hundred miles longer – and land there.

Hamas has denied there was any bomb threat, and has no known ability to operate outside of Gaza and Israel. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has also poured scorn on the idea, calling it ‘completely implausible’.

Once the passenger plane had landed in Minsk, Mr Protasevich and his girlfriend were hauled off – as fellow travellers say he was ‘super nervous’ and feared he would be killed.

He is now being held on charges of organising mass demonstrations against the regime, while she is being held on unknown charges.

Flight logs show three other passengers also disembarked in Minsk, who are widely theorised to have been Belarusian KGB agents – a theory backed by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary.

The trio have since appeared on Belarus state TV where they were presented as two Belarus nationals – Sergey Kulakov and Alexandra Stabredova – and a third Greek man Zisis Yason.

The trio claimed they had been due to fly to Minsk anyway and had begged to be kept off the flight when it returned to the skies. They did not directly address claims about being undercover agents. 

Belarus has also denied claims that its MiG fighter threatened to shoot down the Ryanair jet, saying the pilot ‘chose’ to divert to Minsk. 

Separately, the White House said that national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday spoke with Belarus opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Sullivan told the opposition leader that the US ‘in coordination with the EU and other allies and partners, will hold the Lukashenka regime to account.’

Two US senators urged the Biden administration to prohibit U.S. airlines from entering Belarus airspace because of the incident. ‘We must protect innocent passengers from despotic regimes and stand in solidarity with dissidents who are being targeted,’ Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said in a joint statement.

Protasevich, an outspoken critic of Belarusian Lukashenko – dubbed ‘Europe’s last dictator’ – was wanted for his role in organising massive protests against him after rigged elections last year. 

The Belarus Interior Ministry said Protasevich is being held in the capital Minsk and dismissed unconfirmed reports that he was hospitalised.  Earlier, Belarusian media reported that Protasevich’s mother received unconfirmed reports that her son was in hospital and in critical condition because of heart problems.

‘This information does not correspond with reality,’ the ministry said on its Telegram channel.

It added that ‘the arrested person is in custody’ and is being held in Detention Centre No1 in central Minsk.

‘The administration of the institution has not received any complaints about his health,’ the ministry said.

Protasevich’s flight made a sharp deviation from its course just a few miles from the Lithuanian border before landing in Minsk on Sunday, leading some aviation experts to believe that the Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet may even have threatened to shoot down the Ryanair passenger plane.  

Suspicions have fallen on four passengers, believed to be agents from the Belarus’s secret service – known as the KGB, the same name as its Russian counterpart – who voluntarily departed in Minsk, not continuing with the flight when it travelled on to its final destination, the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. 

Their presence has stoked fears that Belarusian or Russian agents were involved in a murky operation to arrest Protasevich who had begged the crew not to follow the order, saying ‘they will kill me’ and telling a fellow passenger on the ground that he faced ‘the death penalty.’   

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab raised the possibility of direct Russian involvement in the diversion of the civilian airliner, telling MPs earlier today: ‘It’s very difficult to believe that this kind of action could have been taken without at least the acquiescence of the authorities in Moscow.’

Yale University History Professor Timothy Snyder also added fuel to rumours of Russian participation in the plot, claiming in a tweet: ‘Belarus would not have hijacked an EU plane without Russian approval’.  

But Russia threw its weight behind Belarus today, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying that Lukashenko was taking an ‘absolutely reasonable approach’ to the detention of Protasevich. 

Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also mocked the Western indignation at the alleged hijacking, writing on Facebook she was ‘shocked that the West calls the incident in Belarusian air space ‘shocking” and accusing Western nations of ‘kidnappings, forced landings, and illegal arrests’.  

Lukashenko, an ally of Vladimir Putin, personally gave the ‘unequivocal order’ to ‘make the plane do a U-turn and land,’ according to a statement by Belarus’s presidential news service. 

Tsikhanouskaya called for wider sanctions on the Lukashenko’s regime after Protasevich’s arrest, which she said was ‘the result of impunity’. 

‘For nine months already we have been fighting against the regime after fraudulent elections, but the regime still feels impunity and you see they use such awful methods of kidnapping people,’ she said.

‘We have to put much more pressure on this regime for them to stop violence and to release political prisoners.’

She said she though it ‘unbelievable’ the regime had lasted long under these circumstances, especially because ‘the whole county is against the regime’.  

‘The only question is, how many victims will there be during this fight for freedom and for democracy? I’m sure that these changes will come soon’, she added. 

Meanwhile, Minsk Airport was at the centre of fresh drama on Monday after it suspended boarding of a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt over security fears after receiving a tip-off about a possible terrorist act.

Lufthansa said in a written statement on Monday that Minsk authorities, prompted by a security alert, had unloaded luggage and freight from flight LH1487 and carried out renewed security checks on 56 people on board, including five crew members.

Minsk airport said measures for the screening of passengers, baggage and aircraft had been completed and that the aircraft was preparing again for departure. The airport was operating normally, it said.

‘The message about the terrorist attack, which was received earlier by e-mail of the airport, was not confirmed,’ the airport said.

Earlier, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary condemned ‘state-sponsored piracy’ by Belarus after one of his passenger jets was forced to land by a warplane on the pretext of a bomb threat. 

‘I think it’s very frightening for the crew, for the passengers who were held under armed guard, had their bags searched,’ he told Newstalk.

‘It was clear it appears that the intent of the Russian authorities was to remove a journalist and his traveling companion. We believe there was also some KGB agents offloaded from the aircraft as well.’ 

Tory MP Tom Tugendhat this morning called it ‘a warlike act,’ joining the British, Irish and American governments in their condemnation. ‘This was a flight between two NATO members and between two EU members,’ the Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman told Radio 4. ‘If it’s not an act of war, it’s certainly a warlike act.’ 

Mr Raab, the British foreign secretary, vowed to hold Lukashenko accountable ‘for his outlandish actions’ with further sanctions and demanded the ‘immediate release of Protasevich.’

His Irish counterpart Simon Coveney was also withering, saying that Dublin – where Ryanair is headquartered – would not allow the ‘state-sponsored piracy’ to go unpunished.

‘We cannot allow this incident to pass on the basis of warnings or strong press releases,’ Coveney told RTE. ‘I think there has to be real edge to the sanctions that are applied on the back of this. This was effectively aviation piracy, state-sponsored.’  

Moscow defended its ally, with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov calling Lukashenko’s action an ‘absolutely reasonable approach.’ 

‘A representative of the Belarusian foreign ministry… stressed the readiness of the Belarusian authorities to act on the issue in a transparent manner and to follow all international rules,’ Lavrov said during a press conference following a meeting with his Greek counterpart.

‘I think this is an absolutely reasonable approach.’

He called on the global community to ‘soberly assess the situation’.

Earlier Monday, authorities in Belarus insisted they had acted legally when they diverted the flight. They instead accused the West of making unfounded claims for political reasons.

Several European airlines including AirBaltic, Air Austria and Wizz Air were avoiding Belarusian air space today as EU leaders were set to meet in Brussels ton discuss furthers sanctions against Lukashenko. 

AirBaltic said it was monitoring the situation and would avoid Belarus airspace until it ‘becomes clearer’. It added: ‘the safety and health of our passengers and employees in the main priority’. 

The Foreign Affairs Committee has called for a complete flight ban on Belarusian airspace. MP Tugendhat said he wanted to see a flight ban ‘to protect our citizens from any potential repeat of this event’.

Tugendhat explained he was calling for a ban on all flights going into, or out of, Belarus, until Sunday’s hijacking was resolved. 

He added a call for ‘immediate sanctions on the Lukashenko regime’, including on the Yamal-Europe oil pipeline.  

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said further sanctions were being considered against the Lukashenko administration and Belarus’ ambassador in London had been summoned for a dressing down.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he had instructed the Civil Aviation Authority to request airlines avoid Belarusian airspace ‘in order to keep passengers safe’.

He also suspended the operating permit for Belavia, the country’s state-owned airline.

On Sunday, Ryanair Flight 4978 had already begun its descent into the Lithuanian capital when the pilot announced that the plane would be suddenly diverting to Minsk. There was no explanation.

But Protasevich reacted immediately, standing up from his seat, reaching into the overhead locker, pulling a laptop computer from his hand luggage and passing it to his girlfriend along with his mobile phone. 

‘When it was announced they were going to land in Minsk, Roman stood up, opened the luggage compartment, took luggage and was trying to split things,’ said a Lithuanian passenger, who gave his name only as Mantas.

‘I think he made a mistake. There were plenty of people so he could give the things to me or other passengers and not the girlfriend, who was also I think arrested.’

Outside the plane – although not visible to Mantas – was a Soviet-era MiG-29, on orders from Lukashenko to force the plane to Minsk.

Mantas was speaking to Reuters after a day-long ordeal that began in Athens and finally ended late in the evening in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, after a stopover of more than seven hours in Minsk.

Another exhausted passenger, speaking to reporters without giving her name, said Protasevich looked ‘super scared’.

‘I looked directly into his eyes and he was very sad,’ she said. Protasevich was immediately separated on arrival in Minsk and checks of luggage using sniffer dogs turned up nothing.

‘We saw that Roman was stopped due to some things in the luggage,’ Mantas said, adding that the other passengers also had their luggage checked and were taken by bus to the terminal where they spent several hours waiting to reboard the plane.

‘We saw from the window that Roman is standing alone, and one policeman with dog was trying to find something (in his luggage).’

Another passenger, who also did not give his name, told Lithuanian media that Protasevich had identified himself to Belarusian security officials on arrival. ‘I saw how his passport was taken away. He took off his mask and said: ‘I’m so-and-so and I’m the reason why all this is going on.” 

Aviation experts today revealed that the passenger plane had been significantly closer to Vilnius than it was to Minsk when it was forced to turn around, making a mockery of the Belarusian claims that it needed to make an emergency landing for a bomb threat. 

Leading opposition figure Pavel Latushko said: ‘The air traffic controllers of Minsk-2 airport threatened to shoot at the Ryanair civilian plane with passengers on board. For this reason, a military fighter MiG-29 of Belarus Air Force was sent.

‘This proves again that this incident was an act of state terrorism… It demands an immediate reaction of European authorities and the entire world community.’

Ryanair did not deny the claims this morning, telling MailOnline: ‘Ryanair condemns the unlawful actions of Belarusian authorities who diverted Ryanair’s flight FR4978 to Minsk yesterday (23 May), which was an act of aviation piracy.

‘This is now being dealt with by EU safety and security agencies & NATO. Ryanair is fully cooperating with them and we cannot comment further for security reasons.’  

Latushko heads the National Anti-Crisis Management, a shadow government set up last year by the Belarusian Coordination Council for the peaceful transfer of power following the ‘rigged’ 2020 election, widely seen as stolen by President Alexander Lukashenko.

He is a former culture minister of Belarus and was the country’s ambassador to France, Spain and Portugal before joining the opposition.

The claim about the shooting had come via the Belarus civil aviation authority, he said. 

Moscow-based aviation expert Vadim Lukashevich said he too believed that a threat to shoot down the Ryanair flight had been made.

He said: ‘To make it crystal clear – the pilots of the Ryanair plane that was forced to land in Belarus were pulling towards the destination Vilnius until the last possible moment.

‘They had to turn back under the threat of a fighter jet when the distance to Vilnius airport was only 45 miles away and only 19 miles to the Lithuanian border.’

He claimed the Ryanair pilots were ‘heading towards Lithuania without slowing down… they were escaping from the fighter jet, and they turned back just two minutes before crossing the Lithuanian border. ‘

Flightradar data showed the plane had not slowed to descend at the usual height on this route but appeared to be flying as fast as possible to the border – before abruptly turning back, seemingly on the orders of the MiG-29.

He is convinced that ‘the fighter had permission to shoot’, he said.

‘And I am absolutely sure that the crew of the passenger aircraft turned around only after receiving a notification from the Belarusian fighter that, in case of disobedience, it would open fire before the passenger plane left the airspace of Belarus.’ 

Meanwhile, a leading Russian investigative journalist Roman Dobrokhotov revealed that as well as Protasevich’s girlfriend Sapega, four Russian passengers who had been on the flight to Lithuania left it in Minsk.

He claimed: ‘Four citizens of Russia did not continue the flight to Vilnius.

‘This operation was escorted by Russian special services.’

One of Russia’s most respected independent journalists Alexey Venediktov, editor-in-chief of Echo Moscow radio, said: ‘Four more Russians didn’t follow on to Vilnius, but left the plane in Minsk, and dissolved into the nature.’

Another source suggests there were three not four Russians who left the plane, but in any event their identities are not known. 

Sapega is a student of the European Humanities University, now based in Vilnius, after its forced closure by Lukashenko’s authorities in Minsk. 

She is a Russian citizen, and the university where she studies international law has expressed deep concern for her fate.

Political detainees in Belarus are frequently tortured by the KGB secret service and police.

A passenger named Raselle, a beautician, was videoed on the plane when it landed in Minsk posted a message to say that Protasevich had said to the flight attendant: ‘Don’t do this, they will kill me. I am refugee.

‘He answered: We must, we have no choice, it’s in Ryanair legal agreements.’ 

Lithuania – a former Soviet state now in the EU and NATO – has led Western calls for action against its neighbour, Belarus.

‘It is an unprecedented attack against the international community: a civilian plane and its passengers have been hijacked by military force, and a Belarusian citizen has been abducted, whose life and health are in danger,’ said a government statement.

‘It is unjustifiable that ordinary international travellers have been held hostage to the regime’s aggression.

‘This is the act of state terrorism directed against the security of citizens of the European Union and other countries, civil society of Belarus seeking asylum from the regime’s persecution, as well as international civil aviation.

‘Lithuania will demand a clear and uncompromising response from the international community.’

Mr Raab said in a statement on Monday: ‘The UK condemns yesterday’s actions by the Belarusian authorities, who arrested journalist Roman Protasevich on the basis of a ruse, having forced his flight to land in Minsk. Mr Lukashenko must be held to account for his outlandish actions.

‘The UK calls for the immediate release of Mr Protasevich and other political prisoners held in Belarus. The UK is working with our allies on a coordinated response, including further sanctions. The UK also calls for the ICAO Council to meet urgently to consider the regime’s flouting of the international rules safeguarding civil aviation.’

The 27 EU leaders open a two-day summit later Monday and the issue immediately shot to the top the agenda amid united condemnation of Lukashenko. 

‘The outrageous and illegal behaviour of the regime in Belarus will have consequences,’ EU chief Ursula von der Leyen tweeted. ‘Those responsible for the Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned.’

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called it ‘yet another blatant attempt by the Belarusian authorities to silence all opposition voices.’ He called the diversion of the plane an ‘inadmissible step’ highlighting a further worsening in relations between both sides.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry on Monday bristled at what it described as ‘belligerent’ EU statements, insisting that the country’s authorities acted ‘in full conformity with international rules.’

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the incident ‘shocking’ and accused the Belarusian government of endangering the lives of those aboard the aircraft, including some Americans. He called for the release of Pratasevich and for the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization to review the incident. 

‘I saw this Belarusian guy with girlfriend sitting right behind us. He freaked out when the pilot said the plane is diverted to Minsk. He said there’s death penalty awaiting him there,’ passenger Marius Rutkauskas said after the plane finally arrived in Vilnius.

‘We sat for an hour after the landing. Then they started releasing passengers and took those two. We did not see them again.’

Pratasevich was a co-founder of the Telegram messaging app’s Nexta channel, which played a prominent role in helping organise major protests against Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko.

The Belarusian authorities have designated it as extremist and levered charges of inciting riots against Pratasevich, who could face 15 years in prison if convicted.

Months of protests in Belarus were fueled by Lukashenko’s election to a sixth presidential term in an August vote that the opposition denounced as rigged.

More than 34,000 people have been arrested in Belarus since August, and thousands were brutally beaten.