September 16, 2024
The Court of Appeal in Belgrade has overturned the decision to extradite to Belarus journalist, director and activist Andrei Gnyot, returning the case to the High Court to decide once again. This court has already passed down extradition orders twice, but the Court of Appeal revoked them following complaints from lawyers.
Gnyot was arrested at Belgrade Airport on 30th October 2023, on the basis of an Interpol warrant that was itself revoked in June of this year. Gnyot has been accused of evading taxes of around €300,000 in Belarus, which is the only country in Europe that still has the death penalty. The Belarusian authorities previously used Interpol warrants as a mechanism to bring home political dissidents.
Gnyot has stated repeatedly that he fears that he would be murdered in Belarus, while his lawyers claim that the case is politically motivated.
This activist was first held in prison, then placed under house arrest, where he must remain until 30th October.
“This is a compromise solution that suits everyone except me, as I’m still a prisoner. On the one hand, that’s good – that they don’t extradite me now. On the other hand, they haven’t granted me freedom; they keep me like a criminal under house arrest, and I’m not guilty of anything, which was actually confirmed by the Court of Appeal,” stated Gnyot.
His lawyer warns that the court process could continue indefinitely, and that no legal deadline for it to be concluded exists.
