Johnson: Pratasevich video 'deeply distressing'

The British Prime Minster said that a video released on Monday showing a Belarusian journalist who was arrested in Minsk "makes for deeply distressing viewing".

In a tweet published on his official prime ministerial account, Boris Johnson called for Raman Pratasevich's "immediate release" and warned that "Belarus' actions will have consequences".

Pratasevich was seen in a brief video clip shown on Belarusian state television, speaking quickly and saying that he was giving testimony about organising mass disturbances.

He was arrested on Sunday after Belarusian flight controllers told the crew of a Ryanair jetliner flying from Greece to Lithuania that there was a bomb threat against the plane as it was crossing through Belarus airspace and ordered it to land.

A Belarusian MiG-29 fighter jet was scrambled to escort the plane in a brazen show of force by President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for over a quarter-century.

Belarus authorities then detained the 26-year-old journalist and activist and his Russian girlfriend, Sofia Sapega.

Pratasevich, who left Belarus in 2019 and ran a popular messaging app that played a key role in helping organize huge protests against Lukashenko, has been charged in absentia with staging mass riots and fanning social hatred.

Those charges carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years.