EU leaders agree range of sanctions on Belarus over arrest of journalist, including air space ban

#eudebates #EUCO Belarus #Russia

The European Council:
- demands the immediate release of Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega and that their freedom of movement be guaranteed;
- calls on the International Civil Aviation Organization to urgently investigate this unprecedented and unacceptable incident;
- invites the Council to adopt additional listings of persons and entities as soon as possible on the basis of the relevant sanctions framework;
- calls on the Council to adopt further targeted economic sanctions and invites the High Representative and the Commission to submit proposals without delay to this end;
- calls on all EU-based carriers to avoid overflight of Belarus;
- calls on the Council to adopt the necessary measures to ban overflight of EU airspace by Belarusian airlines and prevent access to EU airports of flights operated by such airlines;
- stands in solidarity with Latvia following the unjustified expulsion of Latvian diplomats.

The European Council will remain seized of the matter.

Lukashenko to face EU sanctions after Ryanair 'hijacking'

Belarus' "Ryanair hijacking must be sanctioned" and the opposition blogger it snatched must be freed, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said.

Her unusually strident remarks came after Belarus president Aleksander Lukashenko shocked Europe on Sunday (23 May) by forcing a passenger flight from Athens to Vilnius carrying more than 140 people to make an emergency landing in Belarus instead.

[peterernst]

why oval? do you use megaphones to send voice from one end to another? whats the point of that room?

[josephmartin]

EU Leaders must speak with Pr.Putin right now, specially Eastern European leaders must sit down with Putin and Pr. Lukashenko . That they are not talking, like they are afraid, sends a horrible signal of weakness and incompetence . EU Leaders must never be afraid to face the lions, they go and make a better deal .

[chanahyingchan]

Such unbiased collaboration amongst the EU leaders on the detention of a journalist by imposing sanctions on Belarus.
Was there such agreement and action taken when the Iranian General and scientist was assassinated by know parties.?