Belarus posted conversation between Ryanair pilot and air traffic controller

Belarusian authorities on Tuesday released transcript of the conversation between an air traffic controller at Minsk airport and a pilot of the Ryanair plane, before the forced hijacking of the plane to arrest a dissident, Roman Protasevich, in the Belarusian capital.

“We have information from the security services that they have a bomb on board that could explode over Vilnius,” said the controller recommending that the plane land in Minsk for “security reasonsAccording to the text published on the website of the aviation department of the Belarusian transport ministry, collected by the Russian news agency Sputnik.

Then the pilot asks what is the source of the bomb threat, to which the controller responds with an email electronic received by airport security. Likewise, it tells you that other airports have received the same mail.

In this context, the pilot is interested in who gives the recommendation to send the aircraft to Minsk, whether the airline, the departure airport -Atenas- or the arrival airport -Vilna-. The controller replied that “this is our recommendation”. The pilot then agreed to “redirect (the plane) to Minsk airport”.

Belarusian authorities have defended the legality of the hijacking over the past two days, alleging that there was a bomb threat on board. The notice was sent to Minsk airport and demanded that the European Union stop supporting Israel or detonate a bomb placed on the Irish airline’s plane over Vilnius, according to the Belarusian transport ministry. .

Belarusian authorities sent a MiG-29 fighter to escort the plane and, during its forced stopover in Minsk, Protasevich and his girlfriend, Russian citizen Sofía Sapega, were arrested.

Most members of the international community – with the exception of Russia – they are suspicious of this version and argue that it was all a plan to stop Protasevich, who has unfinished business in Belarus.

INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS

The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, judged the Belarusian version “not at all credible”, citing a bomb threat attributed to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday that is considering the possibility of imposing more sanctions against Belarus, while calling the forced hijacking of a Ryanair plane to Minsk to apparently detain Protasevich “outrageous, illegal and totally unacceptable”.

At a press conference, Trudeau ruled that Protasevich’s arrest is a “clear attack” on democracy and press freedom and called for his “immediate” release, according to the Canadian newspaper The star.

In the same vein, the government of The United Kingdom has vetoed “with immediate effect” the entry into its airspace of aircraft of Belarusian airlines which do not have a “specific authorization”.

The move, announced by UK Transport Minister Grant Shapps, comes after UK yesterday will withdraw the permits to operate on its territory from the Belarusian flag company, Belavia.

The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson warned Tuesday that the actions of President Alexandr Lukashenko’s executive “will have consequences”. and described as “deeply distressing” the video broadcast on Belarusian state television in which the journalist appears with an apparently bruised face. The European Union also decided, Monday evening, to close its airspace in Belarus and to adopt new sanctions against senior officials and entities of the country.

For its part, the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced on Tuesday that it had presented a Lawsuit in Lithuania against Lukashenko for “hijacking (of plane) for terrorist purposes”.

Protasevich, 26, is a former editor of influential opposition media Nexta, which enabled the massive mobilization of Belarusians during the 2020 protests against Lukashenko’s controversial re-election.

His country accuses him of being “involved in terrorist activities”. Belarusian television broadcast a video of the young man on Monday, recorded in a prison in Minsk.

With information from EuropaPress, AFP and EFE

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