A Ryanair flight detained by Belarussian forces on Sunday was threatened in an email claiming to be from Hamas, Belarusian Transportation Minister Artem Sikorski said Monday.
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A MiG-29 fighter jet intercepted Ryanair flight FR4978 in Belarusian airspace, on the Athens-Vilnius route. Once the passenger plane was on the ground at Minsk airport, Roman Pratasevich, 26, a Belarussian journalist and antigovernment activist living abroad, was removed from the flight and detained.
European capitals have reacted with fury to the incident, describing it as a "hijacking" or an act of "piracy."
On Monday, Sikorski read a Russian translation of a message received in English, which read: "We, Hamas soldiers, demand that Israel stop firing on the Gaza sector… if our demands are not met a bomb will explode (on board of the Ryanair plane) over Vilnius."
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary described the act as "state-sponsored piracy" and suggested intelligence operatives had been present on board the flight, disembarking at Minsk, the BBC reported.
A number of European countries are expelling Belarussian diplomatic staff, or banning all flights from their national airlines from entering the country's airspace, AFP reported.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Russia was likely complicit in the incident.
"It's very difficult to believe that this kind of action could have been taken without at least the acquiescence of the authorities in Moscow," Raab said.
The US State Department issued a statement condemning the diversion of the plane and the arrest of Pratasevich. "We demand his immediate release. This shocking act perpetrated by the Lukashenka regime endangered the lives of more than 120 passengers, including US citizens. Initial reports suggesting the involvement of the Belarusian security services and the use of Belarusian military aircraft to escort the plane are deeply concerning and require full investigation.
"We are closely coordinating our response with our partners, including the EU and Lithuanian and Greek officials. Given indications the forced landing was based on false pretenses, we support the earliest possible meeting of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization to review these events.
"Independent media are an essential pillar supporting the rule of law and a vital component of a democratic society. The United States once again condemns the Lukashenka regime's ongoing harassment and arbitrary detention of journalists. We stand with the Belarusian people in their aspirations for a free, democratic, and prosperous future and support their call for the regime to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms," the State Department said.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
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