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Crisis in Belarus

Tikhanovskaya lies by saying consul refuses to meet with detained Russian, says source

Sofiya Sapega was detained in Minsk on Sunday together with Roman Protasevich, one of the co-founders of the Nexta Telegram channel, recognized as extremist in Belarus

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya EPA-EFE/TOMS KALNINS

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya

© EPA-EFE/TOMS KALNINS

MOSCOW, May 24./TASS/. Former candidate for the Belarusian presidency Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is lying when she says that the Russian consul in Minsk has refused to meet with detained Russian national Sofiya Sapega, a source from the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS on Monday.

"This is a bold lie," the diplomat said.

Sapega was detained in Minsk on Sunday together with Roman Protasevich, one of the co-founders of the Nexta Telegram channel, which is recognized as extremist in Belarus. Tikhanovskaya claimed on Monday that the Russian consul had allegedly refused to assist Sapega.

Protasevich was on board a Vilnius-bound Ryanair flight that was forced to make an emergency landing at Minsk International Airport on Sunday after a reported bomb threat. The plane landed safely and no bomb was found on board. Protasevich, currently living in Lithuania and wanted in Belarus, was detained after the airliner landed in the Belarusian capital.

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