By A Serbian court has given the go-ahead for the extradition of Belarusian journalist Andrey Gnyot to his home country, where he faces charges of tax evasion amounting to several hundred thousand euros (dollars), according to a ruling obtained by AFP on Friday. Gnyot was arrested in Belgrade in October while filming a commercial video, following an Interpol warrant.
The Belgrade court ruling, issued on May 31, stated that Gnyot was wanted by Minsk for the “crime of tax evasion … having caused damage of a particularly significant amount.” The court determined that the legal preconditions had been met to hand Gnyot over to Belarusian authorities for a “criminal trial for tax evasion.”
Gnyot, currently under house arrest, has the option to appeal the verdict, which is the second in his case. A previous court decision in December also approved his extradition but was subsequently annulled.
The journalist, who founded an association supporting protests against the controversial re-election of long-time Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020, has consistently denied the accusations, labeling them an attempt by the Belarusian authorities to silence him. Lukashenko, in power since 1994, is widely believed to have rigged the election result, leading to massive protests and a subsequent crackdown on dissent, with hundreds of opponents jailed and thousands forced into exile.
Belarusian exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya urged the international community to support Gnyot on Friday, stating, “Andrey is at risk in Belarus of human rights violations, deprivation of liberty and torture for political reasons.” She appealed to Serbia’s justice minister and the second-instance tribunal considering Gnyot’s appeal not to extradite him.
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranks Belarus 167th out of 180 countries for press freedom, indicating that before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was the most dangerous country for journalists in Europe.
The case has drawn international attention, highlighting the ongoing suppression of press freedom and political dissent in Belarus under President Lukashenko’s authoritarian rule. As Gnyot awaits the outcome of his appeal, human rights organizations and the international community will be closely monitoring the situation, with concerns that his extradition could lead to further human rights violations and unjust persecution.
Credit: AFP
