Belarus: Western countries demand plane diversion probe

Current and former members of the UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned the recent forced landing of a passenger plane in Belarus, and called for an urgent investigation into the incident by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). 

"The airplane, owned by a European Union company, carrying more than 100 passengers from one EU Member State's capital to another, was forced to land based on false grounds by a Belarusian military aircraft," the statement said. 

The joint statement was backed by Estonia, France and Ireland — EU member states currently on the rotating Security Council — along with previous members Belgium and Germany. Current Council members US, the UK and Norway also supported the declaration.

The countries called the event "a blatant attack on international civilian aviation safety and on European security," which showed "flagrant disregard for international law."

The statement called on the ICAO to investigate this "unprecedented and unacceptable incident and for full accountability for those responsible."

The ICAO, which is based in Montreal, is expected to convene on Thursday to discuss the incident. 

What happened during the plane diversion?

The Ryanair passenger plane flying from Greece to Lithuania was forced to land on Sunday while it was moving through Belarusian airspace. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko scrambled a jet and forced the aircraft carrying over 100 passengers to land in the capital Minsk.

Belarusian dissident and blogger Raman Pratasevich, who was on board the plane, was arrested by authorities in Minsk after the forced landing. His Russian girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, was also detained in Belarus.

After seven hours on the ground in Minsk, the plane was allowed to proceed towards its final destination.

The Belarusian government has previously said there was a bomb threat from Palestinian terrorist group Hamas aboard the plane. Hamas has denied the claim, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called Belarus' version of events "completely implausible."

How have European countries reacted to the incident?

The event has sparked outrage across Europe. Some countries have called the event state-sponsored "hijacking" or "piracy."

The EU on Monday agreed to impose new sanctions on Monday following a summit in Brussels, barring Belarusian carriers from flying in the bloc's airspace. The EU also called on European airlines to avoid flying over Belarus.

So far, German airline Lufthansa, Dutch airline KLM and other carriers have halted flights over Belarus.

Lukashenko lashed out at the Western response to the incident during an address to the Belarusian parliament on Wednesday, saying that "ill-wishers" were "trying to strangle Belarus." The Belarusian president also called Pratasevich a "terrorist" who wanted to incite a "bloody rebellion" in the country.

What's the political situation in Belarus?

Lukashenko has governed Belarus since 1994. In August, he won another term in a presidential election against opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, but critics say the voting process was rigged.

Protesters have poured into the streets of Belarus since the election, calling for an end to Lukasheko's reign. In response, Lukashenko's government has arrested demonstrators and cracked down on regime-critical media.

Washington D.C.-based human rights organization Freedom House has characterized Belarus under Lukashenko as "not free," due to restrictions on civil liberties and the lack of fair elections.

wd/msh (AFP, dpa)