17 minutes agoArrest of journalist: EU leaders impose sanctions on Belarus
Periskopi(5 years ago)
(5 years ago)European Union leaders have agreed on a series of sanctions to be imposed against Belarus, as a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania was forced to land in Minsk and a Belarusian journalist was arrested on board. Besides blocking the use of air space and airports to the 27-nation bloc, the EU [...]
In addition to blocking the use of the 27-nation bloc's airspace and airports, the EU is expected to hit separate officials linked to the incident, the Associated Press reported.
EU leaders made their decision at an emergency summit held Monday and are expected to enforce sanctions as soon as legal procedures can allow.
The decision came as Roman Protasevich, a journalist who was detained in Belarus, appeared in a video posted on telegram Monday, saying he was in good health, but was being held in custody in Minsk.
With his hands tight and a visible dark mark on the journalist's forehead, Protasevich acknowledged that he played a role in organising mass protests in Minsk last year.
Shortly after the video was published, the journalist's allies suggested that the video was likely obligatory.
While Sviatana Thiskanouskaya, a leader of the Belarusian opposition, wrote on Twitter: “This is how Roman looks under physical and moral pressure”.
“I request the immediate release of Roman and all political prisoners,” said Kkanouskaya.
