Opinion | Polina Sadovskaya: Belarus' capture of journalist Roman Protasevich on a Ryanair plane threatens us all. - NBCNewsTHINK
speaks volumes about the lack of protection E.U. countries provide for journalists who risk their safety to inform others. Members of the U.N. Human Rights Council should push for a resolution condemning this increasing global pattern of extraterritorial attacks.
While sanctions must continue, as long as Russia stays aligned with Lukashenko, their impact will be muted. The E.U., the U.S. and the U.N. should also employ sanctions that target Russia, and international investigators must get to the bottom of the in this weekend’s operations. Would Lukashenka have risked so much without Russia President Vladimir Putin’s blessing? Unlikely.and calling for reductions in the amount of time spent in Belarusian airspace, but serious consideration also needs to be given to how such restrictions could maroon dissidents in Belarus who may need to escape as the hammer comes down.
Belarus cannot be totally isolated from international travel; freedom of movement is essential for the security of journalists and dissidents. Airlines and the International Civil Aviation Organization both need to come out strongly against this profound threat to the flying public. What happens when a Chinese journalist critical of the country’s government is on a U.S.