OTTAWA, May 23. /TASS/. The situation around the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk may run counter to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (also known as Chicago Convention), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said on Sunday.
"ICAO is strongly concerned by the apparent forced landing of a Ryanair flight and its passengers, which could be in contravention of the Chicago Convention. We look forward to more information being officially confirmed by the countries and operators concerned," it wrote on its Twitter account.
The organization has not yet answered a TASS inquiry about a possible probe into the incident.
A Ryanair plane flying from Athens to Vilnius made an emergency landing at Minsk’s airport on Sunday after a reported bomb threat. A MiG-29 fighter jet of the Belarusian air forces was scrambled to escort the plane to Minsk. The plane landed safely. No bomb was found inside. Belarus’ Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on charges of false bomb threat.
It was reported after the plane’s landing that a co-founder of the Nexta Telegram channel, which had been recognized as extremist in Belarus, Romat Protasevich, wanted in Belarus, was among the passengers. The man was detained.