Leaders of the European Union have agreed to impose a new round of sanctions against Belarus in response to the arrest of Roman Protasevich, hours after a video of the Belarusian dissident in a detention facility was shown on state television, ABC News reported Tuesday.
The sanctions include banning Belarusian airlines from using the airports and airspace of the 27-country coalition in the wake of anger over the interception and forced diversion of a passenger plane to arrest the opposition journalist.
The EU called for the immediate release of the 26-year-old Protasevich and his traveling companion. They have also called on the International Civil Aviation Organization to carry out a full investigation of the incident, which EU leaders have called a "state terrorism" and "hijacking."
Lithuania has already halted flights from arriving or leaving through Belarus airspace. United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Britain was canceling the operating permit of Belarus's flag carrier and advising British airlines to avoid the former Soviet nation's airspace, The Wall Street Journal said.
In the video, Protasevich was quoted by CNN as saying "the attitude of the (Interior Ministry) employees toward me has been as correct as possible and in compliance with the law."
The video was posted Monday evening to a pro-government social media channel. Protasevich's father and his supporters believe the video was made under duress, according to Sky News.
"I continue to cooperate with the investigation and have confessed to organizing mass riots in the city of Minsk," he said while sitting at a table with his hands folded in front of him and speaking in a fast manner.
''I think he was forced. It's not his words, it's not his intonation of speech, he is acting very reserved and you can see he is nervous," Protasevich's father said, adding he believes his son was even beaten, based on what he saw on the video.
