BREAKING! The regime landed @Ryanair plane, which was flying from Athens to Vilnius,in order to arrest the famous Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich. In Belarus, he faces the death penalty. Belarus has seized a plane,put passengers in danger, in order to repress an opponent
Raman Pratasevich is a Belarusian journalist and @belamova editor. He actively covered the events of the 2020 election campaign and the subsequent protests. Belarusian security forces started several criminal cases against him, the KGB put him on the terrorist list.
By the @nexta_tv Mig-29 fighter jet was used to "lead" the RyanAir aircraft to Minsk's airport. Reasons for such actions? Lukashenka's media report the plane was landed because of the conflict between a crew member and a passenger. Before that, they told there was a bomb.
Raman Pratasevich noticed the surveillance at the airport of Athens. In his messages, he wrote that a man next to him in line at the border control tried to take pictures of his documents and then just left.
Passengers of the flight about Raman Pratasevich's detention: «At first he panicked, then calmed down a bit, but still was trembling. He said he'll face the death penalty here. He was taken aside, his belongings dumped on the runway».
It's official now: the pilots landed the plane by the notification of the ACT of Belarus about the potential threat on board.
The world is talking about Belarus. Lukashenka's military hijacked @Ryanair plane & took Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich hostage. From now on, no one can feel safe in Belarus airspace - the regime possesses total control over it & doesn't care about the legal obligations.
Most of the @Ryanair passengers arrived in Vilnius safely except Raman and his girlfriend Sofa, a Russian citizen. She accompanied him on this flight. During the last months, she volunteered, worked on several social projects. Not detention is the scarest, but the interrogation.
Thanks to all the witnesses giving their testimonies. Raman Pratasevich was taken hostage for telling the truth. He must be released immediately. By this obviously staged operation, Lukashenka's regime had put in danger hundreds of lives. The impunity must be stopped.
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❗️At least 8 explosions in the Homiel region near the border with Ukraine. According to witnesses, explosions took place near Ziabrauka airfield. Russian military aircraft are often stationed there.
So far, there is no confirmation if these explosions are connected to any military drills conducted by the Russian and Belarus armies on Belarus territory. Ziabrauka airfield is used by Russian aviation in the war against Ukraine.
The official explanation of regime's ministry of defense: nothing unusual happened, military equipment caught fire, no victims
Russia gave up on taking Kyiv also because of lack of stable railway logistics. Belarus railway partisans disrupted connection with🇺🇦. Echelons got delayed, schedules & plans disrupted. When Ukrainian army retakes control over border, Russians will not repeat the "blitzkrieg"
Many write that the Russians in Belarus had a comfortable rear. Not always. Russians had constant troubles with refueling equipment, even with Mazyr Oil Refinery. Photographing the 🇷🇺equipment has become a sport for Belarusians, and critical intelligence piece for the 🇺🇦
People's attitude to Russian troops is not rosy. Almost 60% believe that they should withdraw immediately. Belarusians do not perceive Russians as welcomed guests, although Belarusians are very hospitable. The longer they stay, the more there will be conflicts with locals.
Belarusians are joining the rallies against Russian aggression all over the world. You can easily spot white-red-white flags on the videos. Lukashenka had committed treason by allowing Russian troops to invade Ukraine from Belarus. The absolute majority of Belarusians condemn it.
The rally in support of Ukraine in Helsinki, Finland.
Belarusian athlete was forcibly taken to the airport by the Belarusian delegation members & is now pressured to leave the #Olimpics. Christina Tsimanouskaya is being departed from #Tokyo, she is now at the airport. Athlete says she will seek refuge in the #EU.
In the @euroradio interview, Tsimanouskaya says: 'No one told me anything, I was just told to pack and go home.' She is afraid of flying back to #Belarus. Tsimanouskaya previously publicly criticized the National Olimpic Team management.
#Belarus is all over the international media once again. The repressions by the regime disregard the borders, occasions, or circumstances. Krystsina Tsymanouskaya is now under the care of the Japanese police, athlete asked for the support of the International @Olympics Committee.
The student's trial is taking place in Belarus. Yesterday they said their “last words”. I want you to read them. All of these young people are bright & intelligent - the complete opposite to those who are judging them. They are the future, which Lukashenka is trying to destroy.
Alana Hebrymariam, Sviatlana @Tsihanouskaya representative on the Youth:
«I am against violence. I supported the students who strived for a dialogue with the university administration to be heard. I won't admit the guilt for the crimes I never committed & don't regret it.»
Ksenia Syramolat:
«If you, the High Court, believe that it is criminal to follow the Constitution, it’s criminal not to lie, it’s criminal to study hard, it’s criminal to help people, then I will understand the motivation of the verdict & all the 8 months in the detention center»
Stsiapan Latypau spent 51 days in a so-called "press-hata".This is a soundproofed torture chamber - no one can hear the screams of a person, that is suffering mentally & physically there. Stsiapan let us know what he experienced by the only mean left to him - by cutting his veins
Before this incident, we could only guess what political prisoners are going through behind bars. They are very restricted in what they can tell. Sometimes we had seen parts of letters just cut off - because prison's censors don't want us to know the truth.
For all Belarusians, this pressure is extremely hard to stand. People are dying in prisons of the health conditions, they had never experienced, like Vitold Ashurak. They are committing suicide, because of the harsh interrogation processes - like 18 years old Dzmitry Stakhousky.