DISINFO: Secret services of many countries have occasionally diverted or forced planes to land
SUMMARY
The secret services of many countries have periodically diverted or forcibly landed planes in order to detain persons of interest. Not only the US is known for this, but also Israel, Turkey, Iran. It will never be known what part of the reports about the “bomb on board” is a deliberate provocation of the secret services.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the arrest of a Belarusian opposition journalist Raman Pratasevich and the Ryanair Flight 4978 hijacking.
Ryanair flight FR4978 was intercepted by military jets while en route from Athens to Vilnius. Minsk air control reported a bomb threat (which was fake and invented for the purpose) and requested the aircraft divert to Minsk. A Belarus Air Force MiG-29 forced the plane to divert to Minsk airport, while Vilnius airport was much closer.
At Minsk airport, a Belarusian opposition journalist, wanted in Belarus for unfounded charges of extremism, was arrested. His companion was detained as well. The plane was kept at the airport for seven hours before being allowed to continue to Vilnius.
As a consequence the European Council demanded immediate release of Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega and called on the International Civil Aviation Organization to investigate the incident. Further, on 24 May, the European Council adopted individual and economic sanctions, as well as, banned overflight of EU airspace by Belarusian airlines and called on all EU-based carriers to avoid overflight of Belarus.
The other incidents of forced landing of an aircraft, often cited by disinformation outlets did not involve a bomb-scare or a cracdown on political opposition. For more see here.
See similar case in our database claiming that forcing down aircraft is common practice among special forces.