Lukashenko Refutes International Criticism in Parliament Speech
Opposition Leader: "They Are Trying to Turn Belarus into Europe's North Korea"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has defended the forced emergency landing of an Ireland-registered passenger plane, which involved the deployment of fighter jets and has drawn strong international condemnation, stating that the emergency landing was a justified measure.
On the 26th (local time), according to The Guardian and Deutsche Welle, President Lukashenko said in a parliamentary speech, "At that time, we had to inform the pilot of the information (about explosives on board) and disclose it," adding, "Regardless of whether explosives were actually installed, if there was a concern about a terrorist threat, I naturally had to force the plane to land."
Lukashenko: "Western sanctions are a new form of modern warfare and a planned provocation"
On the 26th (local time), Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, attended and spoke at the parliament. Minsk (Belarus) = EPA Photo
President Lukashenko also stated that Switzerland had notified Belarus that explosives were planted on the Ryanair passenger plane registered in Ireland. This contrasts with the earlier statement by the Belarusian Ministry of Transport that the party reporting the bomb threat was the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
On the other hand, Switzerland denied having made any notification regarding a bomb threat related to the passenger plane.
Lukashenko further explained, "At the time, the aircraft was flying over a nuclear power plant within our territory under suspicion of explosives being on board," adding, "Since it was a situation where the plane might have to be shot down in an emergency, we dispatched fighter jets."
He also claimed that Belarus did not force the landing but that the plane's pilot, after consulting with the airline and the destination Vilnius Airport, decided to land at Minsk Airport.
Regarding the reason for diverting to Minsk from a point close to Vilnius, he explained that airports in Ukraine and Poland refused to accept the passenger plane suspected of carrying explosives.
However, Ukraine and Poland rejected Lukashenko's claim that their airports denied landing permission to the Ryanair plane. The press office of Poland's Frederic Chopin International Airport stated, "On the 23rd, we did not receive any emergency landing request from the Athens-Vilnius Ryanair flight." Ukraine's air navigation service provider 'Ukraerorukh' also confirmed, "During the 25 minutes the Ryanair plane flew over western Lviv airspace, no reports of abnormal situations inside the aircraft were received."
President Lukashenko also said that the West, which has announced sanctions, is conducting a "hybrid modern war" and treating Belarus as an "experimental site" to contain Russia. He called the international sanctions a planned provocation, emphasizing, "Hostile forces have crossed the 'red line.' We (Belarus) will never surrender."
Regarding the arrest of Belarusian opposition activist Raman Pratasevich and his Russian girlfriend, who were on the emergency-landed plane, Lukashenko explained, "They conspired to incite bloody riots in Belarus." He added that Pratasevich is on the terrorist list and that the Telegram channel he operated, Nexta, is recognized as an extremist organization. Nexta is an opposition-leaning media outlet run by Pratasevich.
Analysts suggest that Lukashenko's remarks reflect confidence gained from recent support by ally Russia. Previously, the Russian government responded that the forced landing of the Ryanair plane was justified, and even as the European Union (EU) began imposing sanctions on Belarus, Russia's economic support is expected to increase.
Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lukashenko are scheduled to hold a summit in Sochi, Russia, on the 28th, where the forced landing incident is expected to be discussed.
Opposition Leader: "Belarus is Europe's North Korea... President Lukashenko has crossed the line"
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya criticized President Lukashenko during a video appearance at the European Parliament, calling for a joint international response. She said, "They are trying to turn Belarus into Europe's North Korea," and strongly criticized, "President Lukashenko has crossed the line and has become a threat to international peace."
She also appealed to European countries to join in supporting and showing solidarity with the Belarusian opposition.
Earlier, on the 23rd, Belarusian authorities forcibly landed an Ireland-registered Ryanair passenger plane operating the Athens-Vilnius route at Minsk Airport, the capital of Belarus. Belarus claimed that the emergency landing was due to a report that Hamas had planted a bomb on the plane.
Immediately after the emergency landing, authorities arrested Belarusian opposition activist Pratasevich and his girlfriend Sofiya Sapega, who were on board. The international community condemned Belarus for hijacking the plane to detain them. Subsequently, the EU held an emergency meeting on the 24th and decided to implement broad sanctions, including banning Belarusian airlines from entering regional airspace.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) also recommended that regional airlines avoid flying over Belarusian airspace, and many European airlines such as KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, Finnair, and British Airways are reportedly rerouting to avoid Belarusian airspace by flying over the nearby Baltic states.
Tsikhanouskaya also announced that she is preparing large-scale anti-government protests within Belarus in response to this incident.
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