The European Union has entitled to an international investigation into the emergency landing of a Ryanair plane in Minsk, where an opponent of the Belarusian government was arrested.
“By this coercive measure, the Belarusian authorities have endangered the safety of passengers and crew. An international investigation into this incident should be conducted,” said Josep Borrell, EU foreign policy chief.
EU leaders will discuss additional sanctions against Belarus at a summit starting Monday evening in Brussels.
On Sunday, Belarus forcibly grounded a plane carrying a vital opposition leader in Minsk. Journalist Roman Protasevich, who was on board the aircraft, was in exile and faced the death penalty in Belarus. Local media reported that Belarusian authorities forced the plane to land to arrest Protasevich.
The British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has called on airlines to stop flying over Belarus and demanded tough sanctions against President Alexander Lukashenko.