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Belarus denies that it forced a Ryanair plane to land at Minsk airport last
May. On Thursday evening, four high-ranking Belarusian officials were charged
in the United States with air piracy.
 
President Alexander Lukashenko responded Friday to state news agency Belta by
saying that the flight had not been intercepted by the Belarusians. 
 
On board the plane that was en route from Greece to Lithuania was Belarusian
opposition member Roman Protasevich, who was arrested after a forced landing
in Minsk.
 
The four accused White Russians remain at large for the time being. They are
suspected of having staged a bomb threat in order to lead Protasevich's flight
to Minsk.
 
There were four Americans on board the plane and prosecutors say "U.S. law was
recklessly violated". "The next pilot to receive a report of a bomb threat
could question its authenticity," an FBI spokesman said.
 
Yet the American indictment, which is supported by the FBI, among others,
means little in practice. In the US, the individuals would risk life
imprisonment, but in Belarus they remain at large. President Alexander
Lukashenko has not been charged.
 
Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States imposed sanctions on
Lukashenko's regime over the incident last year.

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