Official Belarusian media reported that Lukashenko personally ordered the interception of the flight.

The latest sanctions plan may target the country’s lucrative potassium industry.

In addition, the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) held an emergency meeting on Thursday and agreed to investigate the transfer of a Ryanair passenger plane from Athens to Vilnius.

A spokesperson said that ICAO agreed to prepare an interim report by June 25. The Montreal-based council has limited investigative powers.

In Poland on Thursday, the parents of the detained journalist Roman Protasevich called on the international community to help them release their son at a press conference.

His mother, Natalia Protasevich (Natalia Protasevich) said: “I want you to hear my cry, the cry of my soul. In this way, you can understand how difficult it is for us now. , And how much of this situation we are experiencing.” “I beg you, please help me release my son.”

Protasevich’s girlfriend Sofia Sapega was also detained from a Ryanair flight. Her mother Anna Dudich told the BBC that she was in an incredible state.

Du Dic said: “I am ready to ask anyone for help so that my child’s life will not be broken.”

Lukashenko defended his actions and accused the West of trying to “strangle” his country through sanctions.

The European Union has advised its airlines to avoid using the airspace of the former Soviet Union countries and prohibits Belarusian Airlines from entering EU airports and airspace.

This 27-nation group had previously imposed severe sanctions on the Belarusian authorities. The reason was that the sanctions allowed Lukashenko to gain his sixth term in office. Opposition organizations were also suppressed and opposed his subsequent suppression of protests. As a result, sanctions were imposed on Lukashenko.

If the next round of sanctions does not alleviate the suppression of opposition and democratic values, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stated that the European Union “will continue to study whether Lukashenko has surrendered and what impact this will have on Belarus. We. It must be assumed that this is only the beginning of a long and long cycle of sanctions.”

The foreign ministers of the major industrialized countries of the G7 also pledged to take action. They pledged in a statement to “strengthen our efforts, including further sanctions as appropriate, to promote accountability for the actions of the Belarusian authorities.”

The EU has tried to continuously encourage Belarus to carry out democratic reforms to bring it closer to the EU and to distance itself from its main supporter Russia, but it has not achieved much success.

Sanctions may backfire

Some people say that more sanctions will not help ease the situation, but will only bring Belarus closer to Russia and reduce the impact of the European Union and other countries.

The Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg admitted that this is a difficult balance.

He said: “What we don’t want to do is bring this country into the arms of Russia.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn (Jean Asselborn) said that the EU focuses on the country’s large potash industry. Minerals are mainly used in the fertilizer industry.

He said: “Belarus produces a lot of potassium and is one of the largest potassium suppliers in the world.” “I think if we achieve success in Lukashenko, it will cause Lukashenko a lot of harm.”

Lukashenko insisted that the Belarusian authorities have the legal right to arrest Protasevich, and Protasevich has become the president’s number one enemy. He said the 26-year-old journalist was inciting a “bloody rebellion.”

Protasevich left Belarus in 2019 to run a popular messaging app that played a key role in helping to organize large-scale protests in recent months, which led Lukashenko to vote in August After that, he underwent unprecedented pressure.

Since then, the crackdown has increased. Since the beginning of the protests, more than 35,000 people have been arrested and thousands have been beaten.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau strongly condemned the actions of Belarus on Tuesday and said that Canada is studying whether to strengthen existing sanctions.

Last year, after the controversial presidential election in August, Canada imposed sanctions on 55 Belarusian officials.

In addition, the Belarusian Embassy in Ottawa stated that after 24 years of operation, it will be closed on September 1.