DISINFO: Belarus acted in full accordance with international law when Ryanair pilot decided to land in Minsk
SUMMARY
Belarus published the communication between the air dispatcher and the pilot, there was no threat to land the plane.
There is simply an explanation that messages were sent to different airports saying the plane was mined, after the pilot himself alone decided to land the plane. From a legal point of view, there is nothing to complain about, the plane was in Belarusian airspace. Belarus reacted quite normally.
The issue is political, the United States needs to attack Belarus as it needs to attack Russia. They cannot afford to let this land run out of control.
Russia has rightly said that it does not want to participate in the international investigation for the simple reason that it is an internal matter, especially since it is surprising to first say who is accused and then put in calls for an international investigation which cannot be objective since it will have to reinforce what has already been said.
RESPONSE
Disinformation message on the Ryanair flight 4978 incident.
It cannot be said that the rerouting of the plane was made based on the free will of the pilot. One email about the alleged bomb threat was sent to Minsk airport but this happened only 24 minutes after the conversation between the dispatcher and the pilot. Moreover, the dispatcher refused to connect the pilot with his airline while he was obliged to do it at the request of the pilot. A MIG-29 fighter jet intercepted the Ryanair plane just before it left the Belarus airspace.
Belarus's authorities breached the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air (aka Montreal Convention).
On 24 May 2021, in a declaration on behalf of the EU on the forced diversion of Ryanair flight FR4978 to Minsk on 23 May 2021, the High Representative called for the immediate release of detained journalist Mr Pratasevich. This was followed by a European Council statement, in which the EU leaders called for targeted individual and economic sanctions as well as a ban on flights over EU airspace by Belarusian airlines as well as preventing these flights from accessing airports in the EU airports.
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