Tikhanovskaya Calls On US, Int'l Community For More Reaction Against Belarus

Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya called on the international community on Wednesday to respond more broadly to the situation in Belarus, and not focus all efforts solely on the Ryanair incident

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th June, 2021) Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya called on the international community on Wednesday to respond more broadly to the situation in Belarus, and not focus all efforts solely on the Ryanair incident.

In her testimony at the US Senate's Foreign Relations Committee hearing on US policy in Belarus, Tikhanovskaya stressed that by forcing the Ryanair plane to land in order to detain an opposition activist on board, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko "has crossed the line" and "become a threat to international peace and security."

"The international reaction has finally been swift and effective, imposing practical measures and starting an ICAO [the International Civil Aviation Organization] investigation.

However, the international reaction must not be limited to the Ryanair flight incident. The entire situation in Belarus deserves a comprehensive and unwavering response," she said.

Tikhanovskaya further warned that if the US and its global partners do not take such measures, "we all will face such situations in the future."

A Ryanair passenger plane flying from Greece to Lithuania was diverted to Minsk on May 23 while in Belarusian airspace. It was carrying over 100 passengers, two of whom were arrested after disembarking journalist Roman Protasevich, who is known to be the founder of Belarusian opposition Telegram channel Nexta, and his Russian girlfriend, Sofia Sapega. The incident prompted an outcry in the West.