The parents of Roman Protassevich, the young dissident journalist imprisoned in Belarus after the hijacking of his Athens-Vilnius flight, launched an appeal for help on Thursday, May 27, receiving the support of the G7 countries against President Lukashenko supported by Moscow.
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"
I want you to hear my cry, the cry of my soul, so that you understand how difficult it is for us now,
" said Natalia Protassevich, the mother of the 26-year-old journalist who faces a heavy prison sentence. , during a press conference in Warsaw. "
I want you to convey our demand all over the world, to government officials, to EU countries, to EU leaders, to US leaders: I cry out, I beg you, help me release my son,
”she told reporters. Roman's father, Dmitri, considered his son to be "
a hero.
".
The journalist's parents, themselves exiled in Warsaw since the crackdown launched in Belarus last year, have remained without any contact with him since his arrest on Sunday at Minsk airport.
In London, the G7 Ministers of Foreign Affairs condemned "
with the utmost firmness
" the arrest of the journalist and his companion and demanded their "
immediate and unconditional release
" and that of other journalists and political prisoners in the country.
Belarusian journalists are facing a "
disastrous situation
", underlined Christophe Deloire, secretary general of the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), from Vilnius where he lodged a complaint against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Read also: Plane hijacked in Belarus: Europe has a big problem on its eastern flank
Lukashenko sees Putin on Friday, May 28
The arrested journalist, Roman Protassevich, 26, is accused by the Belarusian authorities of having organized "
massive disturbances
" in the country shaken in 2020 by demonstrations against the re-election of Lukashenko. Living in exile, the young man is the former editor-in-chief of an opposition media outlet, Nexta, which had played a key role in the coordination of the protest movement, mercilessly suppressed by Minsk.
Minsk has the unfailing support of its main ally, Russia, in this matter. After Lukashenko's speech, the Kremlin said it had "no
reason not to believe the statements of Belarusian leaders
". On Thursday, May 27, Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, said the West should "
stop demonizing those they dislike
" and assured that the Belarusian authorities were "open
to transparency
". Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin are due to meet on Friday May 28 in Russia.