Parents of Belarus dissident journalist Roman Protasevich join hundreds at Warsaw rally
- Protasevich and his girlfriend were arrested on Sunday after Belarus scrambled a military jet to divert the Ryanair plane they were travelling on
- The forced landing triggered a global outcry. The EU has banned Belarusian airlines and urged EU airlines not to cross Belarusian airspace
Hundreds of people in Warsaw on Saturday rallied in support of the Belarusian opposition, days after the regime in Minsk diverted a European passenger plane and arrested a dissident journalist on board.
Among those at the rally were the Poland-based parents of the detained journalist, 26-year-old Roman Protasevich.
“I’m calling on all EU countries and the US to please help us free Roman and (his girlfriend) Sofia, as well as everyone else imprisoned,” his mother Natalia Protasevich said at the rally.
“We want to live in a free country, in a country where everyone has the right to express his beliefs,” his father Dmitry added.
The crowd chanted “Long live Belarus” and held up the opposition’s red and white flag as well as signs with slogans such as “Help Belarus,” “Freedom for Belarus” and “North Korea in the Middle of Europe”.