The press conference, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Minsk, was organized according to the authorities to refute ‘the fake news’ surrounding the forced landing of the Ryanair plane. It was again denied that there was a forced landing, but that action was only taken after a bomb threat. In their own words, the authorities only discovered after the plane had landed that Protasevich was on board.
The ministry also presented a list of charges of offenses allegedly committed by Protasevich and his girlfriend. According to De Graaf, it means that they can both get twelve to fifteen years in prison.
At the end of the press conference, journalists were able to ask Protasevich questions about his health. He stated that he feels healthy and has no complaints. When asked if he had also been tortured by Belarusian police, Protasevich said he had already expected “that joke” and that no one even touched him. He also said that he is not a fan of President Lukashenko, but that he does plead guilty for organizing mass demonstrations and riots.
Completely contradictory
On social media, the press conference is generally labeled as implausible, as Protasevich made statements that completely contradict how he has expressed himself in recent years.
BBC correspondent Jonah Fisher, who attended the press conference, left the roombecause, according to him, Protasevich was clearly compelled to make the statements. Other journalists also did not believe a word the journalist said and assume that he made his statements under duress.
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