G7 CALLS FOR 'IMMEDIATE AND UNCODITIONAL' RELEASE OF BELARUS JOURNALIST

  • 27/05/2021

The Group of Seven (G7) wealthy economiescondemned Belarus on Thursday for forcing a passenger plane to land so theauthorities could arrest a journalist on board."This action jeopardizedthe safety of the passengers and crew of the flight. It was also a seriousattack on the rules governing civil aviation," said the statement, issuedby Britain's foreign office on behalf of foreign ministers from Canada, France,Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and Britain.

"We demand the immediate andunconditional release" of Roman Protasevich, "as well as all otherjournalists and political prisoners held in Belarus," the ministers saidin a joint statement published by the British government.Internationaldisapproval of Belarus and its president, Alexander Lukashenko, has increasedsince the regime diverted a Ryanair jet on Sunday to arrest Protasevich, anopposition journalist, and his companion, Sofia Sopega, who were both on board.

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