ICAO Council finds 2021 Ryanair flight diversion by Belarus unlawful
July 20, BPN. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council condemned Belarus for 2021 Ryanair bomb threat and flight diversion, following the recent discussions of the investigation report, updated with new materials and audio recordings from a Minsk air traffic controller who was in charge of the flight.
The Council concluded that “the bomb threat against Ryanair Flight FR4978 was deliberately false and endangered its safety.” It stressed that the threat was “communicated to the flight crew upon the instructions of senior government officials of Belarus.”
According to the ICAO, communication of false information was an offence under the Montreal Convention as it endangered the safety of the aircraft. It noted that Belarus also violated the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
The ICAO intends to forward the report findings to all its member states and to the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres for “consideration and any appropriate action.” Violations of the Chicago Convention by Belarus will be reported to the ICAO Assembly at its upcoming session to be held between September 27 and October 7.
On May 23, 2021, a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius was forced to land at a Minsk airport. The authorities arrested two passengers, opposition blogger and activist Raman Pratasievič and his girlfriend Sofya Sapega (Safija Sapieha).
Sapega, a Russian national, is now serving a six-year sentence for allegedly administering an opposition account on the Telegram messaging app popular in Russia and Belarus. Pratasievič is still under investigation and is believed to be cooperating with the state.
EU airlines stopped flying over Belarus after the incident, and Belarusian carriers were barred from entering the bloc’s airspace.
On January 31, 2022, the ICAO Council requested that the organization’s investigators continue to probe the incident relating to the Irish airline “in light of some newly emerging information.”
- PoliticsOpposition politician discusses human rights with new UN special rapporteurThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Germany news, PoliticsLeipzig prosecutors halt check of German politician’s exploitation of prisoners in BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsProsecutor General set to try another dead Nazi criminalThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: three arrested in crackdown on solidarity networksThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBAJ and other media organizations support Georgian journalistsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyRussian, Kazakh oil deliveries via Druzhba pipeline halted – ReutersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBusiness news website inaccessible in BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsTwo regional chats recognized as "extremist groups"The material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyViciebsk mall fire: woman with inhalation injury transferred to capitalThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Elections, PoliticsEstonia does not recognize the upcoming presidential election in Belarus – foreign ministryThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SportSkating union allows neutral athletes from Belarus to compete in Olympic qualifiersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsKGB designates nine people as terroristsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyOpposition condemns attack on Kalinoŭski program head in WarsawThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Elections, Politics
- Economy
- EconomyBiełstat: Belarusian companies’ CapEx up 23.7 percent in January-NovemberThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyDiplomats evacuate 22 Belarusians from SyriaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsPoland main target of illegal Belarus-EU crossings in DecemberThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- PoliticsReprisals: one more journalist in prison, news agency branded extremist groupThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, SecurityNuclear plant disconnects power unit from gridThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarusians deserve to see real European leadership, EP president saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsHouse seized from ex-presidential hopeful Capkała up for sale at auctionThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- PoliticsGeorgian president says she does not want to be in exile like CichanoŭskajaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityBelarusians banned from service with Lithuanian Armed ForcesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityAround 350 former Belarusian volunteer fighters moved to Poland, veteran saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyFinance ministry selling dollar-denominated bondsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsUS Embassy calls for release of all Belarusian political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+