UK airlines told to avoid Belarusian airspace.....
British airlines have been advised to avoid Belarusian airspace following the incident regarding a Ryanair flight that was forced to divert to Minsk so an opposition journalist and activist could be removed and detained.
The Belarusian authorities issued a false bomb threat against the jet carrying over 100 passengers and used a military fighter to escort the Boeing 737 jet to Minsk. It was another drastic move by the authorities in Belarus in an ongoing war against independent journalism and opposition voices in the country.
The UK government has also removed Belavia, the Belarusian airline's permit to operate into the UK with immediate effect. The Civil Aviation Authority will be instructed not to issue any further ad-hoc permits to any other carriers flying between the UK and Belarus.
A spokesperson for the CAA confirmed that following the government's decision it "suspended all foreign carrier permits held by Belarusian air carriers until further notice" - something that applies to both scheduled, charter and cargo operators. The spokesperson added: "The Civil Aviation Authority has also issued a notice to all UK-registered airlines requesting that they avoid overflight of any territory of the Republic of Belarus,".
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: "The scenario as reported is a shocking assault on civil aviation and an assault on international law. It represents a danger to civilian flights everywhere and it is an egregious and extraordinary departure from international law and international practice.
To ensure the safety of air passengers, I have worked with the Transport Secretary to issue notice to all UK airlines to cease overflights of Belarusian airspace, and to suspend the operating permit on the Belarusian airline Belavia with immediate effect."
The UK government is calling for the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to urgently look into this matter and is working with international partners and allies on a shared response, including through the UN Security Council, the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe and at the G7.
The foreign secretary also called for the release of Mr Protasevich from the "spurious charges" he faces.
Lisa Nandy, Labour's shadow foreign secretary has condemned Belarus' act of "modern piracy" which she went on to say amounted to a state hijacking, and was an "assault on the freedoms of the air and on freedom of speech".