War of words between minister and DAA chief over Belarusian dissident

Thomas Byrne and Dalton Philips have had an email exchange following Dublin Airport’s refusal to display an image of journalist Roman Protasevich

Dalton Philips, the chief executive of DAA, told a government minister he felt ‘strongly’ that airports should be ‘entirely apolitical locations’. Picture: Fergal Phillips

A government minister became embroiled in a row with Dublin Airport over its refusal to display an image of an imprisoned Belarusian journalist.

Roman Protasevich was detained by the Belarusian authorities after the Ryanair plane he was travelling on was forced to land in Minsk, the country’s capital, last May.

The incident prompted David Sassoli, the president of the EU Parliament, to call on EU airports to display a photo of him as a mark ...