Belarus will be hit with EU sanctions for its ‘state-sponsored hijacking’ of a Ryanair flight that was forced to land in Minsk so authorities could detain anti-government journalist Roman Protasevich.
Belarusian airlines will be banned from flying in EU airspace and EU airlines have been asked to avoid Belarusian airspace. EU leaders ‘strongly condemned’ the forced landing of the Ryanair flight and demanded the immediate release of Protasevich and his companion.
It was an ‘unprecedented and unacceptable’ diversion. Belarus will also face EU economic sanctions. The CAA also banned Belarus airlines from the UK.
