The UK transport secretary has told airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace after a Ryanair flight bound for Lithuania was diverted to Minsk and a journalist on board was detained when it landed.
In a tweet, Grant Shapps said: “Following the forced diversion of a @Ryanair aircraft to Minsk yesterday, I’ve instructed @UK_CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) to request airlines avoid Belarusian airspace in order to keep passengers safe. I have also suspended Belavia’s operating permit.”
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the Commons that the interception was a “shocking assault on civil aviation”.
Roman Protasevich, 26, was held after his flight from Athens, Greece, was rerouted from its scheduled destination of Vilnius to Minsk on Sunday.
European leaders and the US have strongly condemned the arrest of the Belarusian dissident journalist after the passenger plane he was travelling on from Athens was forced to land in the Belarus capital.
Belarus state media said the aircraft was switched to Minsk following a bomb threat, and that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko personally ordered a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the flight to Minsk.
However, opposition groups have said it was an operation by Belarus special services to “hijack” the flight so they could arrest Mr Protasevich.
Mr Raab described the actions of the Belarusian authorities as “outlandish” and a “ruse”.
In the Commons, he told MPs: “The Belarusian authorities claim this was in relation to an alleged bomb threat. We see no evidence to support that claim.
“We understand that Mr Protasevich was detained on spurious charges.
“The UK calls for his immediate release and the release of all other political prisoners in Belarus. We are urgently seeking full details of precisely what took place in relation to Flight FR4978, but the scenario, as reported, is a shocking assault on civil aviation and assault on international law.
“It represents a danger to civilian flights everywhere, and it is an egregious, extraordinary departure from the international law and the international practise that guides international civil aviation under the Chicago convention.”
He added: “The regime in Minsk must provide a full explanation for what appears to be… a serious violation of international law.
“Mr Lukashenko’s regime must be held to account for such reckless and dangerous behaviour… For our part, we’ve summoned the Belarusian ambassador, the minister for the European Neighbourhood is conveying our condemnation of these acts as we speak, and we are working with our international partners.
“I know the whole house will join me in condemning unequivocally this reprehensible action under the Lukashenko regime. The UK will stand firm in protecting freedom of the media, upholding international law, maintaining the safety of international civil aviation.”
Simon Coveney, foreign minister of Ireland, said: “This was effectively aviation piracy, state-sponsored”, and earlier said that inaction from the EU would be seen as weakness.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused President Lukashenko’s government of endangering the lives of those on board the aircraft and demanded a “full investigation”.
“We strongly condemn the Lukashenka regime’s brazen and shocking act to divert a commercial flight and arrest a journalist. We demand an international investigation and are coordinating with our partners on next steps. The United States stands with the people of Belarus,” he tweeted.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the incident was “serious and dangerous” and “requires international investigation”.
EU leaders will meet later today to discuss possible action following the incident.