Poland to take over Ryanair 2021 forced landing probe from Lithuania

October 16, Pozirk. The Lithuanian Prosecutor General’s Office has announced the termination of a pre-trial investigation into the forced landing of a Ryanair aircraft in May 2021 in Minsk, noting that Poland will take over the case.

Lithuanian and Polish investigation teams also agreed that bringing perpetrators to justice will continue in Poland, it noted.

Four years ago, Belarusian security forces cited a false bomb threat to divert the passenger aircraft en route from Athens to Vilnius and arrest journalist Raman Pratasievič and Russian national Sofiya Sapega. Both were convicted in Belarus, but pardoned and released later.

Lithuania launched an investigation into the enforced disappearance and seizure of an aircraft. Polish prosecutors have also opened a case on fraud related to false claims made to the crew about an explosive device on board, which forced the pilots to make an emergency landing in Minsk.

This move was followed by “the seizure of control of the Poland-registered Ryanair aircraft, with the detention of passengers,” prosecutors said, noting that Poland will take over criminal prosecution of those responsible for the forced landing based on data shared by Lithuania.

Earlier, Poland identified three suspects accused of a terrorist attack on the aircraft: Andrej Myćko, head of the 9th Directorate at the Belarusian Committee for State Security (KGB), Biełaeranavihacyja Air Navigation Service Director Leanid Čuro and shift leader Jaŭhien Cyhanoŭ. All three are wanted by Interpol.

The Belarusian national airline Biełavija has been banned from the European Union after the forced landing incident, which has not been investigated properly because Belarusian officials denied international experts access to key evidence and witnesses.

The International Civil Aviation Organization Council determined that the bomb threat against Ryanair Flight 4978 “was deliberately false and endangered its safety, and furthermore that the threat was communicated to the flight crew upon the instructions of senior government officials of Belarus.”

“As neither a bomb nor evidence of its existence was found during pre-departure screening in Athens, Greece and after various searches of the aircraft in Belarus and Lithuania, it is considered that the bomb threat was deliberately false. Knowingly communicating false information which endangers the safety of an aircraft in flight is an offence under Article 1 (1) (e) of the Montréal Convention,” it said.

Alaksandar Łukašenka later dismissed the report as a fabrication, urging ICAO to “let it slide” and “not bother with the details.”

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