UN aviation body to probe Belarus plane grounding, first report due by June 25

The UN’s ICAO agreed on Thursday to investigate the forced grounding of a Ryanair passenger plane in Minsk, an incident that prompted international outrage. ICAO’s 36-nation governing council acted after the United States and several allies demanded an investigation into the incident, which British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called “a grave violation of international law.” ICAO would produce an interim report by June 25, said Irish Transport Minister Eamon Ryan. ICAO said after the meeting that its council had expressed its “strong concern” about the incident. The probe will be a fact-finding investigation designed mainly to determine whether international aviation rules were breached. ICAO has little scope to punish member states other than by suspending voting rights.<br/>