Wednesday, April 8, 2026
ADVT 
National

Trudeau mulling more actions against Belarus

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 May, 2021 09:48 AM
  • Trudeau mulling more actions against Belarus

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is weighing measures beyond existing sanctions against Belarus after its government forced down an airliner and seized a dissident journalist on board.

At a news conference Tuesday, Trudeau is calling the incident "outrageous, illegal and completely unacceptable."

The prime minister says the arrest Sunday of Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich after his Ryanair flight was intercepted by a Belarusian fighter jet in the country's airspace amounts to a "clear attack on democracy and freedom of the press."

Trudeau is calling for Protasevich's immediate release, and says he is considering "further options" regarding the regime.

Canada announced sanctions against 55 Belarusian officials last year after an election that Ottawa said was "marred by widespread irregularities" amid a "systemic campaign of repression" and human rights violations under President Alexander Lukashenko.

Since Sunday, airlines have rerouted flights to avoid the country's airspace and European Union leaders have directed officials to draft unspecified sanctions against Minsk, on top of a potential ban on Belarusian airlines from EU skies.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has deemed the event "state hijacking" and Ireland and France have characterized it as piracy amid mounting international outrage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2021.

MORE National ARTICLES

2 COVID19 deaths for Wednesday

2 COVID19 deaths for Wednesday
There are 108 new cases of COVID-19 in Vancouver Coastal, 259 new cases in Fraser, 35 in Island, 30 in Interior, 20 in Northern and four new cases of people who reside outside of Canada.

2 COVID19 deaths for Wednesday

Police seek information to assist hit and run investigation

Police seek information to assist hit and run investigation
A woman had been walking on the sidewalk when she was struck from behind by a vehicle that had driven on to the sidewalk.

Police seek information to assist hit and run investigation

Vaccinate essential workers earlier: B.C. experts

Vaccinate essential workers earlier: B.C. experts
The third phase of B.C.'s immunization campaign is set to start in April and last until June, reaching people between the ages of 60 and 79, along with those who are highly clinically vulnerable, such as cancer patients.

Vaccinate essential workers earlier: B.C. experts

Migrant workers must get COVID-19 shots: advocates

Migrant workers must get COVID-19 shots: advocates
An estimated 1.6 million people in Canada don't have permanent resident status and many work in essential jobs in health care, construction and agriculture, the group said.

Migrant workers must get COVID-19 shots: advocates

Canada welcomes first COVAX vaccine in Africa

Canada welcomes first COVAX vaccine in Africa
Some 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in the West African country of Ghana on Wednesday, months after the rollout of vaccines in Canada and the rest of the developed world, which has underscored the inequity COVAX was seeking to avoid.

Canada welcomes first COVAX vaccine in Africa

Kerry, Wilkinson talk U.S.-Canada climate work

Kerry, Wilkinson talk U.S.-Canada climate work
The two leaders vowed to move "in lockstep" in a shared North American effort to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Kerry, Wilkinson talk U.S.-Canada climate work