PES President Sergei Stanishev said:
“The PES condemns in the strongest possible terms this act of aggression. It put in danger the lives of passengers and crew on a civilian flight between the capitals of two EU Member States. This action was illegal and completely against all international aviation rules. The use of military aircraft in this way is disgraceful. An investigation by the International Civil Aviation Organization must follow.
“We call for Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega to be release immediately by Belarusian authorities. They are the victims of a continued campaign to silence Belarusian opposition voices. This is completely unacceptable, and the Lukashenko regime must face consequences for these violent, undemocratic and dangerous acts.
“We stand in solidarity with those campaigning for a free, democratic, Belarus. All opposition figures must be released immediately.”
Yesterday, Ryanair flight FR4978 from Athens to Lithuania, on which opposition journalist Raman Pratasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega were travelling, was diverted by a Belarusian fighter yet whilst in Belarusian airspace and forced to land at Minsk airport. Upon arrival, Pratasevich and Sapega were detained. The plane was then allowed to continue to its original destination.
This act is part of yet another campaign by the Lukashenko regime to supress opposition voices, who have been campaigning for democracy since the country’s fraudulent presidential election in August 2020.
In March this year, the PES condemned the detention of the leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (BSDP), Ihar Barysau, and called for his immediate release.
