The e-mail warning of an alleged bomb on board the Ryanair flight – which, according to the Belarusian government, would be at the origin of the hijacking of the Ryanair flight of dissident Roman Protasevich – actually came after the hijacking. This was announced by Proton Technologies, a Swiss technology company that deals with security.
Belarusian authorities claim to have given the order to the Ryanair flight, which departed from Athens and headed for Vilnius, to land in Minsk due to a bomb threat on board. Upon arrival in Belarus, dissident journalist Roman Protasevich and Russian fiancée Sofia Sapega were arrested.
Belarus, who is Roman Protasevich, the journalist in Lukashenko’s sights
by Rosalba Castelletti
Belarusians claim to have intervened urgently after receiving “an email from Hamas” threatening to “blow up” the aircraft if Europe did not “cease its support for Israel” in the war against Gaza. Hamas immediately denied it. The Belarusian television news agency reported that the bomb alert came from Switzerland and that it came from Hamas.
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di Wiktoria Bieliaszyn
To the prompt denial on the content of the threat, another was added on the timing: the email regarding the alleged alert would have been sent 24 minutes after the pilot was ordered to land in Belarus. Swiss tech firm Proton did not comment on the news. He confirmed that “we have found no evidence that Belarusians are telling the truth. We will support the European authorities in their investigations”.
The European Track Cycling Championships, scheduled in Minsk next month, were canceled today: “In light of the current international situation, the board of directors has decided to cancel the 2021 Elite Track European Championships scheduled in Minsk (Belarus) from 23 to 27 June 2021 “, announced the European Cycling Union.
If Minsk does not change course, it risks “a long series of sanctions”, warns the German foreign minister Heiko Maas, on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the colleagues of the 27 in Lisbon: “We are observing the consequences that the last round of restrictive measures announced by Brussels will have in Belarus. If this is not the case – warned the head of diplomacy in Berlin – we must to believe that (the sanctions announced) are only the beginning of a long, wide series of measures “.
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