Greece: "Russian spies tracked Protasevich before he boarded the Ryanair flight" - Politics Forum.org | PoFo

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#15175461
Vice wrote:
Russian passport-holders tracked the dissident blogger for days in Crete before he boarded a fateful flight home, a Greek official told VICE World News.

A prominent dissident journalist hauled off a passenger plane forced down over Belarus was tracked by unknown people – likely Belarusian or Russian intelligence agents – for days in Greece before the flight, investigators from Greece’s internal security services believe.


On Sunday, Belarus scrambled a fighter jet on a flimsy bomb threat premise to divert a Ryanair flight between Athens and Vilnius, Lithuania, while it flew over Belarusian airspace.

When the plane landed in Minsk, 26-year-old Roman Protasevich, the editor of an opposition Telegram channel, was arrested.

Protasevich, who had been living in exile, was returning to Vilnius four days after the end of an economic conference in Athens attended by many Belarusian dissident figures, which has led Greek intelligence investigators to believe he was under extended surveillance the entire time he was in the country.

Just before the flight, according to Protasevich’s colleagues, he saw people following him through the Athens airport taking photographs. It is believed this team had Protasevich under observation to determine when he would take a flight that would pass over Belarusian airspace.

Officials from the Greek National Intelligence Service (EYP in local initials) told local press outlets that at least three unknown operatives were tracking Protasevich throughout Athens since his arrival before the conference on the 9th of May. After the conference ended on the 16th of May, it is believed that Protasevich went on holiday for several days in Crete with his partner, where they were also under observation by what are believed to be Russian or Belarusian intelligence officers, a Greek official told VICE World News.

“It is clear as we gather CCTV footage from hotels, from Crete and from the airport that they were being tracked by intelligence professionals carrying Russian passports,” said the Interior Ministry official who asked not to be identified. “We believe these people operated on behalf of Belarus and helped determine [that] Protasevich was on board the plane as it passed over Belarus.” Protasevich and his partner Sofia Sapega were both hauled off the flight when it landed in Minsk. When the flight eventually landed in Vilnius it transpired that three other passengers had also disembarked in the Belarusian capital.

“We understood, however, that [the] Minsk regime functions in a 70s and 80s Soviet mode. That is, with Cold-War procedures, which are not accepted in 2021,” Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Miltiades Varvitsiotis told local media on Tuesday.

A regional intelligence official said that the Greek services were angry over what they see as a betrayal of unofficial rules that should prohibit aggressive operations inside an EU capital city.

“Greece really gets along with everyone but Turkey,” said the regional official who lacks permission to discuss the matter openly. “This cooperation with Russia, the United States, with the rest of the EU is a political and economic necessity for Greece but they cannot ignore a wildly illegal kidnapping operation that largely took place on their territory. The Greeks will not go out of their way to cause trouble for anyone but they’re collecting all the evidence they can to be part of whatever EU-wide response takes place.”

The EU has already dropped a slew of sanctions targeting flights to and from Minsk, with most of Europe refusing to fly over Belarus or to allow its flights in its airspace while the matter is being investigated.

“Greece will not lead a political incident but it will not shirk from its duties to protect its population and guests,” said the Interior Ministry official.



As I predicted Moscow/Putin was behind Ryanair hijacking, was it an act of war? What would be our response to this Putin's provocation ?
Last edited by noemon on 03 Jun 2021 11:01, edited 2 times in total.
#15175622
litwin wrote:As I predicted Moscow/Putin was behind Ryanair hijacking, was it an act of war? What would be our response to this Putin's provocation ?




Who is "our"? It definitely was not an act of war against Greece. Nor is it my impression that the Greek disposition towards what you term "Muscovy" is nearly anywhere as toxic as yours. Now if it was the hated Turk pulling off that stunt, then it be a whole different matter from the Greek perspective.

But, in life we have to make tough choices. Gas is everything, Roman Protasevich is nothing. It is unfortunate. But that is the reality.

I do not believe Putin was behind the hijacking. Not out of any moral considerations, mind you. More because of the timing. Nord Stream 2 is set to be completed by end of Summer. Putin is unlikely to do anything that might artificially delay the opening. It is important that Germany gets hooked. And Germany cannot get hooked unless the pipe is pushed in like a needle and the drug pushed in. Drug? Yes, it is like a drug. Maybe worse. Germany is like a junkie when it comes to gas. She must have her daily fix in a timely and reliable manner. Putin has promised to deliver and he will deliver
#15175626
Juin wrote:But, in life we have to make tough choices. Gas is everything, Roman Protasevich is nothing. It is unfortunate. But that is the reality.


The safety of EU nationals is far more important than buying some gas from Russia, especially when there are several other alternative suppliers around.

Putin is quite evidently behind this terrorism against the EU.

Putin like all dictators push when they smell weakness and he has seen quite a lot of it on the part of Europe.

Despite this act of international terrorism, no substantive sanctions have been placed and Germany is still operating as a proxy for Russia, Turkey & China.
#15175632
Juin wrote:Who is "our"? It definitely was not an act of war against Greece. Nor is it my impression that the Greek disposition towards what you term "Muscovy" is nearly anywhere as toxic as yours. Now if it was the hated Turk pulling off that stunt, then it be a whole different matter from the Greek perspective.

But, in life we have to make tough choices. Gas is everything, Roman Protasevich is nothing. It is unfortunate. But that is the reality.

I do not believe Putin was behind the hijacking. Not out of any moral considerations, mind you. More because of the timing. Nord Stream 2 is set to be completed by end of Summer. Putin is unlikely to do anything that might artificially delay the opening. It is important that Germany gets hooked. And Germany cannot get hooked unless the pipe is pushed in like a needle and the drug pushed in. Drug? Yes, it is like a drug. Maybe worse. Germany is like a junkie when it comes to gas. She must have her daily fix in a timely and reliable manner. Putin has promised to deliver and he will deliver

"
I do not believe Putin was behind the hijacking. " of cos you dont , you are a Putin´s poodle, and Protasevich is a democratic martyr , but you are NOTHING
this what we Free World think :
"'It's hard to believe Kremlin wasn't involved in Belarus' Ryanair hijack': NATO Secretary General links Putin to arrest of dissident journalist as Russia blocks flights avoiding its ally"
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... cking.html
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