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“A pre-trial investigation has been launched into the hijacking of an aircraft and the treatment of persons prohibited by international law,” Elena Martinonienė, head of communications for the Attorney General’s Office, told BNS on Sunday.
In a subsequent report, the prosecution clarified that the pre-trial investigation had been initiated by virtue of three articles of the Penal Code: crimes established in international treaties, enforced disappearances and kidnappings.
The article on forced disappearance of the Penal Code establishes that a person or a group of people acting with the permission, support or consent of the State, have detained, kidnapped or deprived in any other way a person of their freedom from three to 15 years .
The investigation is carried out by the Lithuanian Criminal Police Office.
As the Lithuanian police reported on the social network Facebook on Sunday evening, the Criminal Police Office is conducting a pre-trial investigation “in accordance with two articles of the Penal Code, on enforced disappearance and hijacking of an aircraft. “.
According to her, the first witnesses have already been identified and will be questioned, other relevant material will be collected and cooperation with prosecutors and officials from other European Union countries will be sought.
Rolandas Kiškis, head of the Lithuanian Criminal Police Office, told BNS that currently the police officers are already at the airport, where they carry out “certain procedural actions”, mostly interrogations.
“There is a great team of researchers working not to stop people, to interview everyone quickly and to collect all the data,” said R. Kiškis.
According to him, part of the passengers are questioned at the airport.
“The contact details of some passengers are collected, and others who we believe are more important are questioned,” explained the head of the Criminal Police Directorate.
“Dozens … are basically crew members,” he said when asked how many people are being questioned at the airport.
R. Kiškis promised to provide more information on the ongoing investigation on Monday.
On Sunday evening, a Ryanair plane landed in Belarus, flying from Athens to Vilnius, landed at Vilnius airport.
The plane was forced to land at Minsk airport on Sunday afternoon, although it had already approached Lithuanian airspace during the flight.
Ryanair said on Sunday that the plane landed at Minsk airport after Belarusian air traffic controllers reported a possible security threat on board. This information was not confirmed during the inspection of the aircraft.
According to Asta Skaisgirytė, senior adviser to the President of Lithuania on foreign policy, two Belarusian military aircraft were used to capsize a civilian aircraft: a MiG-29 fighter plane and a Mi-24 helicopter.
The Belarusian opposition says this was done to arrest R. Pratasevičius, an opposition activist and Belarusian blogger who founded the plane, the founder of the Nexta news channel.
Lithuanian and Western leaders urge him to release him immediately.
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