EU to impose sanctions on Belarus following forced landing of plane
European Union leaders on Monday agreed to impose new economic sanctions against Belarus, after the country's authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko forced a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania to land in Minsk on Sunday so authorities could arrest Roman Protasevich, a dissident journalist on board.
Already, there are sanctions in place against Lukashenko and other top officials in response to the violent crackdown on protesters last year during Belarus' disputed presidential election. Protasevich is the co-founder and former editor of the NEXTA Telegram channel, one of the few opposition outlets still in existence following the demonstrations. Protasevich has been living in Lithuania, and was accused of inciting hatred and mass disorder; he faces 12 years in prison if convicted.
In addition to sanctions, the EU leaders want planes to steer clear of Belarusian airspace and ban Belarus' national airline from flying over or into any EU territories. Lukashenko's move was "the test of the West," Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics told The Washington Post on Monday. "But it was also a show of force and confidence to his own people and the opposition: 'Look, I can come and get you anyway.' This is an inter-European flight, from Athens to Vilnius, with a European company performing the flight, with a person who is under European protection because he is an opposition activist. This is a direct attack against Europe."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Lithuanian authorities are working to determine whether anyone else — like Russia — was involved in forcing the plane to divert to Minsk, and want to know the whereabouts of three passengers who got off the plane at the airport but didn't get back on. "This was a major operation," a senior European official told the Post. "These were skilled professionals, skilled guys on board."
A video appeared on Telegram Monday evening featuring Protasevich delivering what was seemingly a coerced message, with the journalist saying he was being treated "as correctly as possible" and cooperated by giving "confessional testimony about the fact of organizing mass riots in the city of Minsk."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Critics’ choice: Watering holes for gourmandsFeature An endless selection of Mexican spirits, a Dublin-inspired bar, and an upscale Baltimore pub
-
Argentinian beef is at the center of American farmers’ woesThe Explainer ‘It feels like a slap in the face to rural America,’ said one farmer
-
‘Businesses that lose money and are uncompetitive won’t survive’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Gaza ceasefire teeters as Netanyahu orders strikesSpeed Read Israel accused Hamas of firing on Israeli troops
-
Argentina’s Milei buoyed by regional election winsSpeed Read Argentine President Javier Milei is an ally of President Trump, receiving billions of dollars in backing from his administration
-
Proposed Trump-Putin talks in Budapest on holdSpeed Read Trump apparently has no concrete plans to meet with Putin for Ukraine peace talks
-
Bolivia elects centrist over far-right presidential rivalSpeed Read Relative political unknown Rodrigo Paz, a centrist senator, was elected president
-
Madagascar president in hiding, refuses to resignSpeed Read Andry Rajoelina fled the country amid Gen Z protests and unrest
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Israel, Hamas agree to first step of Trump peace planSpeed Read Israel’s military pulls back in Gaza amid prisoner exchange
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a weekSpeed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
