Representatives of the Ryanair airline, whose plane with the creator of the Telegram channel NEXTA Roman Protasevich on board Especially sat down in Minsk after the mining report, disclosed the details of the incident. Details of the incident became known “New Gazeta”.
The airline has told the publication that the threat on board the Athens – Vilnius was reported by dispatchers from Belarus. After that, they changed the aircraft to Minsk airport.
“The aircraft landed safely, passengers landed, and local services checked the plane. Nothing was discovered, and about two hours later the authorities were allowed to fly to the aircraft [in Vilnius] with passengers and crew,” said Ryanair.
On May 23, the airline Ryanair airlines, following the route Athens – Vilnius, made an urgent landing in Minsk after mining reports. On board the founder of the Telegram channel NEXTA Roman Protasevich was detained.
Head of the European Commission (EC) Ursula Von De Lyien called this incident unacceptable. Lithuanian President Gitanas Bested demanded to release Protasevich and called on the Allies on NATO and the EU immediately respond to the “threat of international civil aviation on the part of the Belarusian regime.” Poland’s Prime Minister Mateush Morrazetsky offered to introduce sanctions against the Belarusian authorities and has already sent the appropriate proposal to the Chairman of the European Council Charlem Michel.
The NEXTA project was engaged in lighting protests after the presidential elections in Belarus in August 2020, he was recognized as a foreign extremist organization and prohibited, and its creators Stepan Putilo and Roman Protasevich are listed in the list of persons involved in terrorist activities. They are accused of organizing mass riots, as well as in the actions aimed at the “initiation of social hostility” in relation to representatives of the authorities and security forces.