The hijacking of a passenger plane shows the extremes to which Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is willing to go in his efforts to persecute his opponents abroad. Members of the opposition fear further shocking acts of repression.
Two young people in their enemies' clutches. In two videos, each 30 seconds long, they introduce themselves and their offenses. Roman Protasevich, 26 years old, looks directly into the camera, speaking loudly and clearly. "I continue cooperating with investigators and am confessing to having organized mass unrest in the city of Minsk,” he says. His girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, 23, allows her gaze to wander around the room. She barely moves her lips. "I am also the editor of the Telegram channel Black Book of Belarus that published personal information about employees of the Interior Ministry,” she says.
These two young people are the spoils dictator Alexander Lukashenko can show following the forced rerouting of Ryanair Flight 4978 from Athens to Vilnius last Sunday. Lukashenko was willing to risk a worldwide outcry to get his hands on Protasevich and Sapega. Greece’s foreign minister called the incident an "act of state air piracy.” Poland’s prime minister decried what he called an "unprecedented act of state terrorism.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, for his part, called for an independent international investigation.
ANZEIGE
By targeting air traffic flying between the capitals of two European Union member states, Lukashenko has isolated his country even further than it already was. European airlines are no longer landing in Minsk and are avoiding the airspace over Belarus. The national airline Belavia, furthermore, is no longer allowed to fly to many destinations in Europe. Neighboring Ukraine has stopped all air traffic with Belarus.
Brussels is now considering implementing sanctions against entire sectors of the Belarusian economy – measures that would affect the export of petroleum products and potash fertilizer as well as the financial system. Such restrictions would hit Lukashenko’s regime much harder than any air-space restrictions.
The hijacking of a passenger plane shows the extremes to which Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is willing to go in his efforts to persecute his opponents abroad. Members of the opposition fear further shocking acts of repression.
www.spiegel.de