Belarus forced diversion of a plane to arrest a journalist was “a huge mistake” by the regime because it brought attention back to the country’s political crisis, opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told Euronews.
Belarusian authorities on Sunday diverted a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius as it was flying in its airspace. Roman Pratasevich, a journalist, and his girlfriend were both arrested.
Speaking to Euronews on Tuesday evening, Tsikhanouskaya said it was “a huge mistake that he [President Alexander Lukashenko] involved the passengers of other countries into this accident because he rose awareness about this situation in Belarus.”
“You have to look at this very situation not separately from overall political situation in Belarus because we have political and humanitarian crises. People are still being tortured and what we have seen with this flight is the result of impunity of regime.”
“Since December, there were not strong events or conferences or strong steps from democratic countries towards the regime and he felt that he can do everything he wants,” she added.
Western countries have strongly condemned the Belarusian regime over the incident with the European Union unveiling new sanctions on Tuesday and banning the country’s airlines from using the bloc’s airspace and airports. Western airlines have meanwhile avoided flying over Belarus.
The United Nations’ Security Council is to meet on Wednesday to discuss the situation.
Minsk has for its part rejected the condemnation, arguing it respected international law. The authorities have said they diverted the plane over a bomb threat.
It has been backed by Russia, a permanent member of the UN’s Security Council, which has described the Western countries’ reaction to the incident as “shocking” and accused them of hypocrisy.
Pratasevich, 26, appeared in a video released by the Belarusian regime on Monday he which he says he is cooperating with investigators and is “confessing to organising mass disturbances in Minsk.”
The journalist is the founder of a message app channel in Belarus seen as key to the massive mobilisation against Lukashenko following the August presidential election ruled fraudulent by the West.
His parents have said they are confident that physical and psychological pressure was used against their son while in custody.
Tsikhanouskaya also alleged violence was used to coerce Pratasevich into admitting guilt, telling Euronews: “These videos are the result of pressure, physical or moral and we see that Roman’s face is bruised, behind the make-up but still his nose is broken and his skin is blue so evidently he was tortured and beaten.”
