Merkel condemns the arrest of Belarusian journalist: Unprecedented and unacceptable decision

Belarus's decision to force the plane to land and arrest the journalist on the plane is unprecedented and unacceptable, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today, demanding that the Belarus dissident be released immediately.

“We discussed this issue very intensively, and all agreed it was an unprecedented unacceptable act,” said Merkel after the EU summit in Brussels, Reuters reported.

It was a forced landing that put people at risk and led to the arrest of journalist Roman Protaschevich and his partner. We ask Belarus to release them both immediately,” said Merkel.

According to the agency, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the forced landing of Ryanair plane in Minsk on Sunday, to which prominent opposition blogger Roman Protaschevic was travelling.

The British news agency's report says Lukashenko personally ordered a Belarus Air Force plane to escort a “Ryanair” plane to the airport in Minsk.

Protaschevich, who was on the Mediterranean authorities' required list after last year's mass protests organised due to the controversial victory of Alexander Lukashenko's elections, was arrested after the plane landed at Minsk airport.