EU sanctions Minsk. Protasevich’s video 'confession'

Belarusian airlines banned from flying over European skies or using stopovers in the 27 countries of the Union. The arrested journalist appears with a bruised face on a video "confession". The young man's father fears that he is being tortured. His work in support of the opposition considered a gesture of "terrorism". Svetlana Tikhanovskaja demands his immediate release.

Brussels (AsiaNews) - The European Union (EU) decided last night to close its airspace and stopovers to Belarusian companies, after the Minsk authorities forced a plane to divert and land to arrest a dissident journalist.

The EU has also asked the European airlines of the 27 member states not to fly over Belarus and have promised further sanctions.

President Alexandr Lukashenko, who won an election last August, widely criticised as having been rigged, is already under sanctions, along with some members of his government.

The act of "hijacking", or "state terrorism" - as it is defined by many Western governments - was used to arrest the journalist and activist Roman Protasevich, 26, a long time militant in opposition to the Lukashenko dictatorship, in power since 1994. His partner Sofia Sapega was also arrested with Protasevich.

Protasevich, his face bruised, appeared last night in a video on state television. He said he was in Minsk No.1 Prison. “The staff are treating me appropriately under the law - he said - I am collaborating with the investigators and I have decided to make a confession regarding the organization of mass riots."

Roman's father, Dmitri Protasevich, told the BBC that he feared his son would be tortured.

Accused of organizing "mass riots", "disturbing public order" and "inciting social enmity", the young man faces a 15-year prison sentence. If accused of terrorism, he risks the death penalty.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaja, leader of the opposition in exile in Lithuania, who claims victory in the presidential elections, said that the young man is subjected to "physical and moral pressure" and demanded his immediate release, along with that of all political prisoners.

The journalist has worked with the opposition since he was a teenager. The first demonstrations he took part in date to 2012, at the age of 17. He worked as a photographer in various Belarusian media. In 2017 he won the Vaclav Havel scholarship for aspiring independent journalists.

Since 2020 he lives as an exile in Poland and Lithuania. From there, through the Nexta web platform, he supports the opposition movement. On his Twitter profile he writes: “The KGB of Belarus put me on the terrorist list. Now my name is on the same list as Daech's members”.

• belarus
• russia
• economy
• religious freedom
• presidential elections
• alexandr lukashenko
• svetlana tikhanovskaya
• exile
• roman protasevich
• repression
• minsk
• tadeusz kondrusievich