MINSK, 16 June (BelTA) – Everything that happened to Roman Protasevich had been planned by the West, the head of the EcooM think tank Sergei Musiyenko told the SB. Belarus Segodnya outlet commenting on the recent briefing arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, BelTA informs.
“When diplomats telling us fairy tales about freedom of speech walk out, it raises eyebrow. In fact, by leaving the briefing, keeping silent or asking primitive questions, diplomats and ‘independent' journalists showed us their real attitude towards Belarus. They could not care less about the real state of things, their only tools are manipulation and misrepresentation! And everything that runs afoul of the picture they have made is simply ignored. But what would have happened to these Polish or Lithuanian diplomats had Protasevich himself asked them questions? And how would an Austrian diplomat have responded to a question about a citizen sentenced to 14 years in prison in Austria - for the same calls that we hear from our fugitives? How would they have answered such questions without having time to coordinate their answers? Therefore, they left. Whatever we say and whatever we are told - the fact remain. And it was demonstrated at the briefing in Minsk. And why has the pilot of that plane not commented on the incident during these three weeks since the emergency landing? There is no doubt that it was part of the plan to frame Roman Protasevich. Protasevich proved to be stronger as a journalist than these non-state interviewers at the briefing. And this proves once again: everything that happened to Roman Protasevich is nothing but a premeditated action. This situation also showed that ‘the new media' do not need facts, they use evidence arbitrarily,” the expert said.
A reminder, on 14 June the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus held a briefing at the National Press Center. It was attended by Belarusian and foreign journalists and diplomats. The key topics included the incident with the Ryanair plane, the departure of some representatives of the Polish diaspora from Belarus, the fight against the transit of illegal migrants through the territory of Belarus and new circumstances around Roman Protasevich's case.
