KGB Hijacks Flight to Arrest Journalist.

[Milchshake]

Looks like some airlines are now avoiding Belarus air space.

Be responsible, avoid the airspace of tin pot dictators.
Be responsible, avoid the bait of pro dictator forum trolls. When the mods or Ryanair wont protect you, protect yourself.

[Machismo]

I see the same accounts are once again defending fascism in all its glory.

At least they didn't try to say it was food poisoning.

[Acidbaron]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...it-2021-05-24/

"Together with international partners, we will work to close the airspace of Belarus to international flights," Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Monday.

France's Europe Minister, Clement Beaune, called the plane's forced diversion "an act of state piracy that cannot be left unpunished", and proposed tougher sanctions against Belarus.


Wonder how far they will go seems they sanctions are being also tailored less against Belarus in general and more against the dictator and his ilk directly.

[Shalcker]

If one is willing to take over a plane in terrorist attack, is ready to shoot down and kill everyone in the plane, then why in the name of fuck wouldn't they threaten the pilot (one guy out of how many on the flight?) with something like that?

Because if pilot have chosen to land in Minsk on their own they don't have to? And that's what they claim happened.

"Willing to take over", "ready to shoot" and so on are just fearmongering conjectures, dehumanizing images of insane monster on other side.

As you see by @jonnysensible 's outburst some people take such images overly seriously.

You can consider them bad without going down to such caricatures.

[Machismo]

To confirm, we have people defending terrorism, and threatening the lives of innocent people.

[Shalcker]

To confirm, we have people defending terrorism, and threatening the lives of innocent people.

Is it just "there is info there might be bomb on your plane" to force landing, or were there any actual threats being made along the way?

[Forogil]

Did RyanAir post the transcript?

They posted clear and unambiguous statements https://twitter.com/RyanairPress condemning this act of aviation piracy, and gave every indication that the pilot followed instructions from the air-traffic-controller as is usual.

And your what-about-ism is false and misleading, the major difference is that the RyanAir flight was between two EU countries, and was hijacked by a terrorist state, whereas what-about-Ukrainan one was starting from Ukraine and stopped from leaving Ukraine.

Fighter jet escorts for planes that might get hijacked (given apparent bomb threat) aren't outside the norm.

If hijackers have access to armed vehicles they use them; that's what Somali pirates use their gun-boats for and that's what Belarus used their fighter jets for.

But I agree with you: Belarus' behaviour isn't outside the norm for terrorists.

Down with Terrorist Kiev Regime!

You are still missing the important fact that the terrorist regime in Belarus forced an airplane to land, whereas Ukraine did nothing similar in that alleged incident.

[Forogil]

Because if pilot have chosen to land in Minsk on their own they don't have to?

Pilots don't fly around like that.

The pilot was ordered to land in Minsk by the air-traffic-controller in Belarus, and followed those instructions.

And that's what they claim happened.

Yes, the pilot was ordered to land by ATC and followed those instructions as pilots are told to - even though the statements by the ATC were clearly false.

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I hope EU keeps cool head, does not follow crazy Baltic nationalists. Otherwise it will only further cement notion that "EU values" are nothing but joke. EU didn't act on previous similar shenanigans, Ukrainian indecent didn't even make news, acting tough now will only show that justice is very selective and applies only to perceived EU enemies, while EU friends can do whatever they want.

This was a hijacking of a flight between two EU-countries, and sort of automatically puts the actor in the "EU enemy" category.

[Easo]

Is it just "there is info there might be bomb on your plane" to force landing, or were there any actual threats being made along the way?

Are you really pretending this was not done to arrest him? Really?

[Daedius]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe...it-2021-05-24/

"Together with international partners, we will work to close the airspace of Belarus to international flights," Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Monday.

France's Europe Minister, Clement Beaune, called the plane's forced diversion "an act of state piracy that cannot be left unpunished", and proposed tougher sanctions against Belarus.


Wonder how far they will go seems they sanctions are being also tailored less against Belarus in general and more against the dictator and his ilk directly.

Sanctions are going to do damn all when the country is heavily backed by Russia.

[Easo]

Sanctions are going to do damn all when the country is heavily backed by Russia.

If they ban them from EU destinations (for example), then national airline is fucked, more than half of destinations are in Europe, it seems. And Russia really fucking does not want to spend even MOARRR cash in Belarus. Putin is probably facepalming right now.

[Kaleredar]

Sanctions are going to do damn all when the country is heavily backed by Russia.

How many counties can sanctioned Russia continue to drag around?

I might be ignorant on this but I don’t imagine Belarus is some economic powerhouse for Russia.

[Shalcker]

They posted clear and unambiguous statements https://twitter.com/RyanairPress condemning this act of aviation piracy, and gave every indication that the pilot followed instructions from the air-traffic-controller as is usual.

So, no threats? Thanks for vindicating my position.

And your what-about-ism is false and misleading, the major difference is that the RyanAir flight was between two EU countries, and was hijacked by a terrorist state, whereas what-about-Ukrainan one was starting from Ukraine and stopped from leaving Ukraine.

Yes, the difference is when it happens to EU it's worst thing ever, and when it happens to anyone else it's whatever (and maybe they even deserved it).

And hey, people already post "OMG, regime is insane for stopping plane takeoff for security check because of bomb call!" here too.

If hijackers have access to armed vehicles they use them; that's what Somali pirates use their gun-boats for and that's what Belarus used their fighter jets for.

When was anything hijacked? As RyanAir says "Our FR4978 flight has landed safely in Vilnius at 19:25hrs UK time (21:25hrs local time)."

You are still missing the important fact that the terrorist regime in Belarus forced an airplane to land, whereas Ukraine did nothing similar in that alleged incident.

They forced an airplane belonging to other country to land after takeoff to get one alleged spy - that is literally what happened.

You're not showing where the difference lies.

[zealo]

Sanctions are going to do damn all when the country is heavily backed by Russia.

It needs to be done regardless.

Belarus cannot be trusted even for airliners just passing through their airspace to other destinations once they start pulling moves like this crap.

[Shalcker]

Are you really pretending this was not done to arrest him? Really?

Even if they did, so what? "We got information there might be bomb on board, please land for security check" is one of tamest options.

As noone had provided any backing to "they most definitely threatened them" so far, i see no reason to change my position in that regard.

[zEmini]

Feels like a act of war. Sanctions will not be enough.

[Shadowferal]

Even if they did, so what?

Yeah...so what if they created nonsense to arrest a journalist. Well, you were never interested in journalists that opposed your opinions anyway.

[Shalcker]

Pilots don't fly around like that.

So far this claim is unfounded conjecture.

The pilot was ordered to land in Minsk by the air-traffic-controller in Belarus, and followed those instructions.

Highly likely, but so far unproven.

Yes, the pilot was ordered to land by ATC and followed those instructions as pilots are told to - even though the statements by the ATC were clearly false.

Pilots are not supposed to make judgements to that end, and for good reasons.

This was a hijacking of a flight between two EU-countries, and sort of automatically puts the actor in the "EU enemy" category.

But Lukashenko is already in that category.

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Yeah...so what if they created nonsense to arrest a journalist. Well, you were never interested in journalists that opposed your opinions anyway.

Journalists get arrested all the time. Free Assange! Pardon Snowden!

And hey, free arrested guy too while we are at it; even if i understand Lukashenko i don't hold it against "free press". Git gud, Luka! Media is not supposed to be threatening your existence no matter how well-connected or well-funded.

But EU meddling can only make it worse as there is literally no way to hurt Lukashenko personally badly enough for him to repent without hurting every Belorussian... and even that probably will not do that either.

It'll just support his paranoia that EU is out to get him and crack down even harder. "Government-in-exile" isn't going to work.

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Feels like a act of war. Sanctions will not be enough.

Do you want to bomb Minsk for that?

What exactly do you think will be "enough" outside of sanctions?

[Shadowferal]

Journalists get arrested all the time.

And you obviously support that.
So...why are you arguing now?

[Shalcker]

And you obviously support that.

I'm not, in fact. I just understand why it happens.

Which threads of history make it possible and desirable for various actors.

So...why are you arguing now?

Because there is no way for EU to make situation better, and plenty of ways to make it worse.