"Felt Like a Plane Crash" Passengers Describe Atmosphere
Opposition Activist Pratasevich Arrested On Site... Passenger Says "He Looked Very Afraid"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The atmosphere inside the Ryanair passenger plane, which was forcibly landed in the Belarusian capital Minsk while en route from Greece to Lithuania, turned into chaos.
On the 24th (local time), ABC News and The Washington Post (WP) reported the situation at the time, citing testimonies from passengers.
Rasel Grigorjeva (37), a Lithuanian national, said in an interview with ABC News, "I thought the plane was crashing and panicked," adding, "The altitude dropped sharply, almost nosediving. It was very violent, and it was the first time I felt this way on a plane."
No warning announcements were made on the plane at the time. Belarusian authorities claimed there was a bomb threat to Ryanair and used a jet to force the passenger plane to land.
Passengers said that as soon as they realized where the plane was heading, Raman Pratasevich, who had been arrested as an opposition figure, appeared fearful. One passenger said he immediately stood up and began dismantling a laptop from the overhead compartment, while another passenger said he told others that he was going to be executed. One passenger described the atmosphere, saying, "He did not shout but looked very scared. If the window had been open, it seemed like he would have jumped out."
Pratasevich pleaded with the Ryanair crew not to abandon him, but the crew reportedly responded that they had no legal choice.
As soon as the plane landed, passengers boarded buses waiting on the ground.
The authorities thoroughly searched Pratasevich in front of the passengers, and a fellow passenger said fear was clearly visible on his face. When a Lithuanian couple asked him what was wrong, Pratasevich reportedly replied, "This plane was forcibly landed because of me. It's all my fault. If you search my name, you will know who I am, and execution awaits me."
As soon as the bus arrived at the airport, Pratasevich was immediately taken away.
Belarusian authorities caused a commotion by conducting body searches on the remaining passengers to prove the bomb threat claim. One passenger said, "The authorities put on quite a show," adding that search dogs were even used to thoroughly check everyone, including babies, but it was clear that the operation was aimed at just one person.
Some passengers insisted that they should refuse to reboard until Pratasevich was released.
The plane arrived in Lithuania 12 hours after departing Athens, but Ryanair reported that five passengers remained in Minsk.
Michael O'Leary, CEO of Ryanair, said in an interview with Irish radio, "I believe Belarusian KGB agents were on board the aircraft and got off together at the airport."
Earlier, on the 23rd, a Ryanair passenger plane of Irish nationality, departing from Athens, Greece, and heading to Vilnius, Lithuania, was forcibly landed by Belarusian authorities at Minsk Airport while passing through Belarusian airspace. The authorities explained that the reason for this action was a report of a suspected explosive device on board, and it is known that fighter jets were deployed to enforce the forced landing. Subsequently, local police arrested opposition activist Pratasevich, who was on board.
In response, on the 24th, the European Union (EU) defined the incident as a "state-sponsored hijacking" and announced plans to impose extensive sanctions on Belarus. They also plan to ban Belarusian-registered aircraft from entering EU airspace.
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