UK condemns Belarus after Ryanair flight carrying opposition activist diverted.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

Britain has strongly condemned the arrest of a Belarus opposition activist after the Ryanair flight he was travelling on was diverted from its route.

Belarus state media said the aircraft – which was travelling from Athens to Lithuania – was switched to Belarus' capital, Minsk, following a bomb threat.

A spokesman said President Alexander Lukashenko personally ordered that a MiG-29 fighter jet accompany the plane – which was travelling from Athens to Vilnius, Lithuania – to an airport in Minsk.

The Belarusian Interior Ministry said Raman Pratasevich was arrested at the airport.

Mr Pratasevich is a journalist and co-founder of the Telegram messaging app’s Nexta channel, which Belarus last year declared as extremist after it was used to help organise major protests against Mr Lukashenko.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was “alarmed” by the actions of the Belarus government of President Alexander Lukashenko, who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We are co-ordinating with our allies. This outlandish action by Lukashenko will have serious implications,” he tweeted.

Mr Pratasevich, who had fled the country for Poland, faces charges that could carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

The presidential press service said the bomb threat was received while the plane was over Belarusian territory. Officials later said no explosives were found on board.

EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called the action "utterly unacceptable".

She tweeted: "It is utterly unacceptable to force Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius to land in Minsk.
"ALL passengers must be able to continue their travel to Vilnius immediately and their safety ensured. Any violation of international air transport rules must bear consequences".

Meanwhile, Ryanair said in a statement that the plane spent five hours on the ground in Minsk after being instructed to divert.

It said: "Ryanair has notified the relevant national and European safety and security agencies and we apologise sincerely to all affected passengers for this regrettable delay, which was outside Ryanair’s control”.

Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called on the International Civil Aviation Organisation to begin an investigation.

“It is absolutely obvious that this is an operation by the special services to hijack an aircraft in order to detain activist and blogger Raman Pratasevich,” she said.

“Not a single person who flies over Belarus can be sure of his safety.”

Months of protests arose after last August’s presidential election that official results say gave Mr Lukashenko a sixth term in office.

Police cracked down on the protests harshly, detaining some 30,000 people and beating many of them.

Although protests died down during the winter, Belarus has continued to take action against the opposition and independent news media. Last week, 11 staff members of the TUT.by news website were detained by police.

Link. I'm not sure how many laws have been broken here.

[Gandalf]

Probably a number of laws broken, but I thought the position of the UK was that breaking laws is okay if it's to catch bad guys or help oil companies?

[Broomstick]

"International law" is a bit of a fantasy. There are certainly international treaties and agreements, but enforcement is lacking, aside from going to war, which is very much a last resort.

This incident violated international norms, treaties, and agreements. It is also part of a trend of nations suppressing dissent in more and more severe ways.

[Lord Revan]

"International law" is a bit of a fantasy. There are certainly international treaties and agreements, but enforcement is lacking, aside from going to war, which is very much a last resort.

This incident violated international norms, treaties, and agreements. It is also part of a trend of nations suppressing dissent in more and more severe ways.

Yeah "International law" is a bit of theater but at same time it's a theater no one sane wants to get rid of either as it has existed in one form or another pretty much as long as humans have. Essentially there has always been treaties or agreements (possibly unwritten) that governed how nations interacted with each other to make it so that the last resort of war wasn't the only resort.

[LadyTevar]

UK isn't the only one. A lot of EU nations have deliberately diverted flights around Belarus airspace, and several have totally stopped flights into Minsk.

[Elfdart]

This incident violated international norms, treaties, and agreements. It is also part of a trend of nations suppressing dissent in more and more severe ways.

Uncle Sam wrote the book on air piracy and as you might expect, the former Soviet states are ham-fisted copycats. For example, when the Obama-Biden regime wanted to disappear Edward Snowden, they got client states Italy, Spain, France and Portugal to deny Evo Morales' plane permission to enter their airspace, let alone refuel, on the grounds that Snowden might be on the plane. The plane was forced to land in Austria, where it was searched. Now just imagine the howls of outrage if a pro-US/UK head of state had been on board this Ryanair flight.

As for Pratasevich, fuck him. I have no sympathy for neo-Nazis and their groupies and that's exactly what he is:

FOIA Research

Politico reported that on May 23, 2021, Protasevich had boarded a Ryanair flight from Athens, Greece, to Vilnius, Lithuania, but when the plane entered Belarusian airspace it was intercepted and ordered to land in Minsk, where Protasevich was arrested. The article dubs Protasevich a journalist, not an extremist, as a Belarusian court had rightfully ruled in 2020 in regards to Nexta hirelings. No mention of what Protasevich may have actually done in Athens, or intended to do in Vilnius. His presence in Greece roughly coincided with a visit of the Western-backed regime change leader in exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, with the President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and US Ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt. According to Protasevich's Twitter account, during Tsikhanouskaya's stay in Athens he worked as her photographer, and took pictures of her in different settings.

To clarify: FOIA Research does not endorse intercepting airplanes in mid-air, unless there is an acute danger emanating from the person or cargo in question, something which seems difficult to assess in this case. However, this does not change the fact that Protasevich is a neo-Nazi-affine Western-backed regime change activist. Nor that the EU is clearly applying double-standards in this case, if one just recalls the incident of Bolivia's president Evo Morales being forced to land in Austria, on the phoney grounds that he seemed inclined to grant asylum to Edward Snowden.

[Broomstick]

As the WWII generation dies off we're seeing more and more apologists and tolerance for neo-Nazis. Which could probably be a whole other thread on its own.

Let me just state for the record that sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander. NOBODY should be pulling this shit, underline and full stop.

[Ralin]

Uncle Sam wrote the book on air piracy and as you might expect, the former Soviet states are ham-fisted copycats. For example, when the Obama-Biden regime wanted to disappear Edward Snowden, they got client states Italy, Spain, France and Portugal to deny Evo Morales' plane permission to enter their airspace, let alone refuel, on the grounds that Snowden might be on the plane. The plane was forced to land in Austria, where it was searched. Now just imagine the howls of outrage if a pro-US/UK head of state had been on board this Ryanair flight.

So?

Also

they got client states Italy, Spain, France and Portugal

Pfft.

[Elfdart]

As the WWII generation dies off we're seeing more and more apologists and tolerance for neo-Nazis. Which could probably be a whole other thread on its own.

Let me just state for the record that sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander. NOBODY should be pulling this shit, underline and full stop.

I mean, changing a plane's route mid-fight is inherently dangerous. Not only to the plane being diverted, but to other aircraft and people on the ground. Planes hauling cargo have their fuel loads planned out meticulously for purposes of weight and balance, as well as to make sure they have enough to reach their destination (obviously), but also to avoid having fuel tanks that are 90% full in the event of an emergency landing. So it's something no one should do to passenger planes, except in the most serious emergencies and no, busting one neo-Nazi isn't one of them.

You might want to be careful mentioning geese and sauces, since that means applying standards consistently, and will cause many a fucktard to unleash their battle cry of "whataboutism" -the shibboleth that always gives away the boot-licking moron.

[Rogue 9]

Uncle Sam wrote the book on air piracy and as you might expect, the former Soviet states are ham-fisted copycats. For example, when the Obama-Biden regime wanted to disappear Edward Snowden, they got client states Italy, Spain, France and Portugal to deny Evo Morales' plane permission to enter their airspace, let alone refuel, on the grounds that Snowden might be on the plane. The plane was forced to land in Austria, where it was searched. Now just imagine the howls of outrage if a pro-US/UK head of state had been on board this Ryanair flight.

As for Pratasevich, fuck him. I have no sympathy for neo-Nazis and their groupies and that's exactly what he is:

FOIA Research

Politico reported that on May 23, 2021, Protasevich had boarded a Ryanair flight from Athens, Greece, to Vilnius, Lithuania, but when the plane entered Belarusian airspace it was intercepted and ordered to land in Minsk, where Protasevich was arrested. The article dubs Protasevich a journalist, not an extremist, as a Belarusian court had rightfully ruled in 2020 in regards to Nexta hirelings. No mention of what Protasevich may have actually done in Athens, or intended to do in Vilnius. His presence in Greece roughly coincided with a visit of the Western-backed regime change leader in exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, with the President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and US Ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt. According to Protasevich's Twitter account, during Tsikhanouskaya's stay in Athens he worked as her photographer, and took pictures of her in different settings.

To clarify: FOIA Research does not endorse intercepting airplanes in mid-air, unless there is an acute danger emanating from the person or cargo in question, something which seems difficult to assess in this case. However, this does not change the fact that Protasevich is a neo-Nazi-affine Western-backed regime change activist. Nor that the EU is clearly applying double-standards in this case, if one just recalls the incident of Bolivia's president Evo Morales being forced to land in Austria, on the phoney grounds that he seemed inclined to grant asylum to Edward Snowden.

Hmmm. I wonder how an equally breathless condemnatory article about Lukashenko would read by comparison. One thing's for sure, it wouldn't need to lean on supposition and innuendo nearly as much.

[Ralin]

You might want to be careful mentioning geese and sauces, since that means applying standards consistently, and will cause many a fucktard to unleash their battle cry of "whataboutism" -the shibboleth that always gives away the boot-licking moron.

So exactly what is your alleged point with all this?

[Elfdart]

Hmmm. I wonder how an equally breathless condemnatory article about Lukashenko would read by comparison.

Mainstream media is chock full of well-deserved hit jobs on Lukashenko.

One thing's for sure, it wouldn't need to lean on supposition and innuendo nearly as much.

How much "supposition and innuendo" does it take to realize this guy is a fascist?

[LaCroix]

I'm guessing the answer sent back to Britain was. “Yes, this does break international law, but only in a very specific and limited way."

Anyway - inacceptable, and they are going to hurt for it - I think I saw that right now, nobody is flying even close to Belarus, and flights in and out are restricted. For a start... Enjoy being isolated.

[Ralin]

snip

So, exactly what point were you trying to make with all that air piracy crap?

[Formless]

snip

So, exactly what point were you trying to make with all that air piracy crap?

Isn't it obvious? Not to excuse Belarus's actions, but to point out that calling this man an "activist" and an "opposition leader" is obfuscating what he really is-- a Nazi and a terrorist. Belarus had good reasons to want him arrested, and probably think the country he was headed for would not do so. That doesn't excuse it, it merely explains why they went after him in this manner, and they don't give a shit about the whinging by Britain because they know the UK, US and all the other whiners in the West would have done the same if the man was on their wanted lists.

[Broomstick]

Well, it's true that probably any other nation would have done the same if they felt a person was a threat and they could get away with it.

And it may be true he's Nazi scum - before this incident I had never heard of him, to be honest. I'm not sure that compensates for a kidnapping.

But false aviation emergencies and snatching people you don't like are not things I want to become common practice anywhere or anywhen.

[Rogue 9]

I will point out that the only source we have for him being Nazi scum is "Anonymous." Let me know when there is credible journalism to that effect. It serves the interests of Belarus to paint its opponents as fascists, and that article positively reeks of being a hit piece, and looking around the site's pages (the "About" page being singularly uninstructive) it seems curiously pro-Soviet.

[Broomstick]

I don't find something coming out of Belarus being "pro-Soviet" as "curious". More like "expected" given what little I know of the country.

[Elfdart]

Mark Ames is an American journalist who spent years in Russia, before being kicked out by Putin. I mention this preemptively because the typical response is "OMG Teh Rushins!" when anyone points out a few inconvenient facts about the latest US-backed quisling. Here's what he has to say about this volunteer for the new version of the Einsatzgruppen:





Volodymyr Ishchenko, a Ukrainian sociologist studying protest movements in his home country, has posted a steady stream of photos of Pratasevich and his neo-Nazi pals in his Twitter feed, as has journalist Jake Hanrahan. Neither of these sources could possibly be considered pro-Lukashenko.




"But... but... he's a JOURNALIST!"

He's not the only Nazi thug in the photos I posted earlier. See the guy with the shaved head and glasses in front of Pratasevich?



His name is Stanislav Goncharov. I wonder if he might also be a Nazi. Let's see:



See the crossed potato-masher grenades below his right shoulder? That's the emblem of the SS Dirlewanger Brigade, one of the units Heinrich Himmler sicced on Warsaw during the uprising in 1944. Now before you write this off as an unfortunate coincidence, check out one of his other tattoos:



Yes Virginia, these guys are a bunch of fucking Nazis formed into a death squad to commit mass murder and I think it's safe to say -given that a prominent member is an Oskar Dirlewanger fanboy- rape and torture, too.

As I wrote before, fuck Pratasevich. And fuck Rachel Maddow too for calling him a "journalist", which is like calling Mohammed Atta an urban planner.

[Broomstick]

For me, the point is that governments diverting planes with false bombs threats to abduct people they don't like is a Bad Sign, even if in this case the disliked person is a fucking neo-Nazi that I don't like either. What separates us from people like Nazis is that we're supposed to believe in law that applies to everyone and we don't (in theory) define categories of people who have lesser or no rights that can be "disappeared" without a ripple. Both parties are in the wrong here, and the fact that the person snatched off a flight is Nazi scum does not excuse the action on the part of the Belarus government.

[LaCroix]

Same - if you want to arrest someone who you suspect being in a plane flying over your country, fucking say so. Do not force a plane to land under threat of violence, citing a made up emergency and then arrest a passenger you "happened to find inside the plane after landing".

And before anyone objects - Belarus is not part of the IASTA, sothe Freedoms of Air technically only apply as long as they like to.
So they would not even have to make up an emergency or anything - telling the plane to land was legal, the manner they did is despiccable, tho.

[Ralin]

Same - if you want to arrest someone who you suspect being in a plane flying over your country, fucking say so. Do not force a plane to land under threat of violence, citing a made up emergency and then arrest a passenger you "happened to find inside the plane after landing".]o.

What if they say so and then threaten violence if they refuse to comply?

What exactly would be a sufficiently important or dangerous criminal to warrant forcing a plane to land so you can arrest him?

[LaCroix]

Same - if you want to arrest someone who you suspect being in a plane flying over your country, fucking say so. Do not force a plane to land under threat of violence, citing a made up emergency and then arrest a passenger you "happened to find inside the plane after landing".]o.

What if they say so and then threaten violence if they refuse to comply?

What exactly would be a sufficiently important or dangerous criminal to warrant forcing a plane to land so you can arrest him?

First question:
Since they are a sovereign nation and have not signed the international treaty, it is within their legal right to do so. Without that treaty, any plane passing by is subject to stop and search just like a car would be. We are just not used to it being done because nobody really does it, but thats the same for cars - cops may not check all cars passing by, but they might decide to stop a random or a specific car for some reason. that's how things work, it's just not usually done for airliners...

And if a country were to set up a "all planes have to stop at an airport to be checked" policy, it would be legal, too - you just would avoid flying through if it can be avoided, but if you decide to fly through, you are subject to that nations law and law enforcement, and fighter jets have always been used as law enforcement regarding to aviation, that's not new, they are simply the only tool to police airspace.

So all things being the same, it's nothing else but a car stop, just a bit more involved with airplanes needing dedicated places to land, and do not for a second think that a cop car would not use violent means to stop you if you were to refuse an order to stop, including use of weapons or ramming you off the road, with potential death and injury to all passengers.

2nd Question When to do so?
To me? Probably a question of potential future harm and severity.

But to be honest - someone must be quite high profile that his name would be something I would scan transit flight passenger lists for.
You know, like "known terrorist" level.
Or someone with a murder charge who is trying to flee the country or has fled and is now 'passing over'? Maybe.
Someone wo has been inciting crowds and is expected to do so again - depending on the violence his followers have caused.
Mere protests, no - Uprisings, yeah, now we are getting towards "terrorist" definitions...
Someone with traffic violations certainly would not fit that...

Given the ambigous past and present of that guy, I honestly do not know, as I do not know a lot about what kind of damage his supporters did or could cause and how much incitement his activities cause, and lack time to start looking up all news on him (most probably in a language I do not understand), and sift it for truth, apologism and propaganda.