Vilnius-based Belarusian opposition figure Svetlana Tikhanovskaya says she has been assured by the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell that the European Union will consider further sanctions on Belarus shortly, including the fifth package in July.
“Yesterday I made a call with EU High Representative Josep Borell. He told me that the EU is planning to adopt the fourth package of sanctions and prepare the fifth package in July,” Tikhanovskaya said in a video statement in Vilnius on Tuesday.
Read more: EU not only ‘debating’, says Lithuanian president after ‘swift’ adoption of Belarus sanctions
She also thanked EU member states for their strong reaction to the recent forced landing of a passenger plane in Minsk where the opposition activist and blogger Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega were detained.
Tikhanovskaya noted that airlines were “one after another” suspending flights via the Belarusian airspace, while EU member states were planning to close their airspaces to the Belarusian state airline Belavia.
Nevertheless, she said, suspending flights over Belarus is not enough.
“Let me emphasise: the suspension of flights over Belarus doesn't solve the real problem. The problem is that the terrorist regime that rigged the election last year regularly violates the Constitution and breaks international law. Lukashenko's regime is a threat to regional and European security. The only solution to this crisis is to conduct a free and fair election and democratic reforms. But now we should stop violence and lawlessness. We ask for sanctions against the regime, its cronies and businesses,” Tikhanovskaya said.
It’s been two days since Protasevich and Sapega were kidnapped, she noted, and they have not been allowed to see a lawyer. According to Tikhanovskaya, the opposition blogger is being tortured and has been forced to “confess”.
“We have already watched the video with imprisoned Roman. He said that he's being treated lawfully, but he's clearly been beaten and under pressure. There's no doubt that he must have been tortured,” she said.
Read more: Lithuanian leaders say Protasevich’s confession may be forced
Tikhanovskaya also said she had discussed the situation with the Polish and French foreign ministers and US President Joe Biden's national security adviser. She said she asked the Polish and US representatives to investigate the plane's hijacking and back the suspension of Belarus' ICAO and Interpol memberships.
According to her, the death of political prisoner Vitold Ashurak, the recent hijacking of the Ryanair plane and the closure of popular opposition news website tut.by “are the result of the regime's impunity and lack of proper response to its actions”.
“Therefore, the response must be comprehensive, including sanctions and the political isolation of the regime. This is time to act,” she said.
The Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius was diverted to Minsk on Sunday afternoon. Belarusian security then detained
Protasevich, a Belarusian opposition activist, blogger and founder of the Nexta information channel, as well as Sapega, his Russian girlfriend who is a student at the Vilnius-based European Humanities University.
Read more: Student of university in Vilnius among detainees on diverted flight
Last year, Belarus put Protasevich, 26, and Sciapan Pucila, 22, co-founders of the Nexta channel, on the list of individuals engaged in terrorist activity and also declared the channel to be extremist and ordered to block it.
The flight returned from Minsk to Vilnius on Sunday evening.
Leaders of NATO, the European Commission and some EU member countries have condemned the incident.
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