Lithuania opens hijacking, kidnapping probe after Ryanair incident
Moscow, Russia: Lithuania has opened a criminal probe into hijacking and kidnapping following the Ryanair plane emergency landing in Minsk, pilots were interviewed upon their arrival in Vilnius, Lithuania's police commissioner general, Renatas Pozela, told the New York Times on Monday. Six people who boarded the flight in Athenrs were not on the plane when it arrived in Vilnius. These include Belarusian dissident journalist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend, Russian citizen Sofia Sapega, who were both detained, Pozela said.
"What I know is that six people did not arrive in Vilnius," Pozela said, noting that further details are being looked into as part of the criminal hijacking and kidnapping investigation. The police questioned the pilots on Sunday when they landed in Vilnius, the official continued. "The pilots were the priority. We wanted to hear their stories. How did they see the situation? What did they do?" Pozela said, adding that passengers will be questioned later this week.
