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“Some fears about him (R. Pratasevičius – aut. past.) health conditions are real and safe. Of course, there is a lot of fear about it and also the way it is treated. Apparently, at least judging from the posted video of him being tortured, it was clear that he was being forced to say those phrases. This is an unimaginable level of cruelty.
“We can demand once again that he be released immediately, he and his life partner,” Landsberg said.
The minister said that embassy representatives had not been able to obtain further information on the condition of Belarusian opponent R. Pratasevičius.
“All we know is from public sources and communication with his relatives,” said the minister.
According to the minister, the relatives communicate with R. Pratasevičius through a lawyer. However, it is not entirely clear whether the lawyer found R. Pratasevičius himself.
“It just came to our attention then. Basically, you can get some information. However, it was not confirmed that there was a meeting between the lawyer and R. Pratasevičius,” the minister said.
At the same time, G. Landsbergis emphasized that Lithuania, in response to the plane incident on Sunday, could not impose sanctions on its own.
“Economic and financial sanctions, because when we end economic relations, we should impose sanctions on companies that trade between the two countries, all of them are introduced only by common and unanimous agreement of all the leaders of the EU. Therefore, we do not yet have a step that Lithuania can take on its own, ”said G. Landsbergis.
The Minister said that Lithuania was in favor of the urgent adoption of the fourth sanctions package and initiating discussions on the fifth sanctions package, which could include some sectors, such as the oil sector.
G. Landsbergis: After Latvia sends Latvian diplomats, Lithuania is ready to help the country
G. Landsbergis also stated that after Minsk sent Latvian diplomats from Belarus, Lithuania was ready to help its neighbor if necessary.
“Yesterday I wrote to Edgars Rinkevičius, a great friend from Lithuania, the Latvian Foreign Minister, with all the support and asked him if we needed our help because his diplomatic activities in Minsk are now suspended. We have diplomats in Minsk, we may be able to help them with something, but so far it seems that help is no longer needed, ”G. Landsbergis told reporters at Seimas.
According to him, when discussing the possible isolation of Belarus in the European Union (EU) airspace, “there is a unanimous European opinion” and the initiative is gaining momentum in the European Council.
“If this is done at the European level, I have no doubt that all European countries will do it, including our closest partners,” added the minister.
Belarus announced on Monday the expulsion of the Latvian ambassador in response to an incident in Riga where the official Belarusian flag was replaced by the historic white and red Belarusian flag, and the Latvian government responded with a similar move.
The historic Belarusian flag was raised on Monday at the initiative of E. Rinkevičius and Riga Mayor Martinis Stakis at the World Hockey Championships in Riga.
Among other things, E. Rinkevičius emphasized that it also shows Latvia’s attitude to the “act of terrorism” by the Belarusian authorities, when a passenger plane flying from Athens to Vilnius on Sunday was forcibly landed in Minsk to arrest an opposition journalist.
R. Pratasevičius, 26, one of the founders of the popular information channel Telegram Nexta, was arrested in Minsk on Sunday after the regime forced a Ryanair plane to land from Athens to Vilnius using military aviation in the capital. Belarusian. His longtime friend, a Russian citizen, S. Sapega, was also arrested.
EU leaders on Monday condemned Belarus’ actions and called on EU airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace.
