Protasevich arrived in Athens to participate in the Delphic Economic Forum on May 9. On May 16, at the end of the conference, he left for Crete, where he rested with Sapieha for another week.
An anonymous source in the Greek National Intelligence Service told reporters that at least three operatives had been tracking Protasevich all this time. This is confirmed by video from security cameras, the source said. He also stressed that all three had Russian passports.
Protasevich himself spoke about the probable surveillance of himself. On the day of his arrest, he wrote to a friend that he saw a suspicious man at the airport who tried to photograph his documents. Correspondence made public Telegram channel “Brain Belarus”.
On May 23, a Ryanair plane flying from Athens to Vilnius made emergency landing ostensibly due to reports of mining (later no explosives were found on board). “To escort” the plane on behalf of Alexander Lukashenko, who considers himself President of Belarus was raised fighter of the Belarusian Air Force.
After checking the board, the Belarusian special services removed from the flight and detained Protasevich and the Russian woman Sapieha (in Minsk, several more people got off the plane, Ryanair suspects they were KGB agents Belarus, Lukashenka denies). Sapega was arrested, her and Protasevich recognized as political prisoners.
On the evening of May 24 a video with Protasevich appeared, in which he says that he is in remand prison No. 1 in Minsk, cooperates with the investigation and gives confessions “on the fact of organizing mass riots in Minsk.” In Europe, it was noted that on the face of a journalist traces of beating were visible.
The prosecution of Protasevich is associated with the Telegram channel NEXTA. The public gained widespread prominence last summer thanks to its lighting and coordination protestswhich began after the announcement presidential election results.
Countries ES, USA, Canada, Ukraine and other states condemned the actions of the Belarusian authorities and called for the immediate release of the detainees.
A number of countries have introduced restrictions on air traffic with Belarus… The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine from May 26 made a decision stop air traffic with Belarus, and from May 29 banned Belarusian planes use the airspace of Ukraine.
–
– .
