NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the forced landing of a passenger flight by Belarus amounted to state hijacking and called for both an urgent international investigation and the release of seized dissident journalist Roman Protasevich.
"This is a state hijacking and demonstrates how the regime in Minsk attacks basic democratic rights and cracks down on freedom of expression and independent media," Stoltenberg said in a video statement, also welcoming European Union sanctions.
"There must be an urgent international investigation. And journalist Roman Protasevich and his companion Sofia Sapega must be immediately released," he said.