The EESC Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law Group calls on Serbia not to extradite Andrey Gnyot to Belarus

The Presidency of the EESC's Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law Group (FRRL) is deeply concerned about the imminent risk of extradition from Serbia to Belarus of journalist Andrey Gnyot (Андрей Гнёт).

Andrey Gnyot was arrested in October 2023 while in transit at Belgrade airport, based on an Interpol arrest warrant issued by the Belarus authorities on accusations of tax evasion. On 31 May 2024, Serbia's Higher Court ordered the extradition to Belarus of the journalist, who is currently under house arrest in Belgrade after spending several months in prison in Serbia.

Andrey Gnyot actively participated in the 2020 protests demanding President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s resignation after the country’s elections. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Andrey Gnyot could face up to seven years in prison for alleged tax evasion and potentially ten additional years for creating or participating in an extremist group. The journalist's defence considers that his persecution is politically motivated.

The FRRL Presidency fears that this extradition could put Andrey Gnyot at risk of an unfair trial and of being subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment in detention.

The FRRL Presidency recalls that, as a State party to international human rights treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Serbia has binding obligations to prohibit torture and other cruel and inhuman treatments, and to uphold the right to a fair trial. These obligations prevent extradition to a country where such protection is not provided. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus has expressed serious concerns about the right to a fair trial and the treatment of prisoners in Belarus.

The FRRL Presidency urges Serbia not to extradite Andrey Gnyot to Belarus.

Background

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Andrey Gnyot, a filmmaker, collaborated with a range of independent news outlets, including Radio Svaboda, during the 2020 protests demanding President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s resignation after the country’s election.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has issued a report about the situation in Belarus, including the oppression and punishment of opposition voices, and long prison terms for several prominent human rights defenders, journalists, and trade unionists[1].

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus reiterated concerns in her 2023 report about the independence of the judiciary and access to a fair trial in Belarus and allegations of recurring violations of due process guarantees in criminal cases. She has also reported that, since 2020, thousands of Belarusians have suffered cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment in detention facilities[2].