English version below

Srpske vlasti bi trebalo da odmah oslobode beloruskog novinara Andreja Gnjota. Ne bi trebalo da ga izruče Belorusiji, gde ga čekaju krivične prijave.

Evropska federacija novinara (EFJ), njene članice u Srbiji – Udruženje novinara Srbije (UNS), Nezavisno udruženje novinara Srbije (NUNS), Sindikat novinara Srbije (SINOS)i Granski sindikat kulture, umetnosti i medija „Nezavisnost“ i još nekoliko novinarskih organizacija u Srbiji - Asocijacija nezavisnih elektronskih medija (ANEM), Nezavisno društvo novinara Vojvodine (NDNV), Asocijacija nezavisnih lokalnih medija (Lokal pres) i Asocijacija medija Srbije, pozivaju ministarku pravde u Srbiji Maju Popović da se usprotivi izručenju Andreja Gnjota.

Srpske vlasti su Andreja Gnjota pritvorile po njegovom dolasku u zemlju 30. oktobra 2023, a na osnovu Interpolovog naloga za hapšenje od 21. septembra koji je izdao beloruski biro Interpola, zbog navodne optužbe za utaju poreza.

U decembru 2023. godine, Viši sud u Beogradu doneo je odluku da su se stekli uslovi za Gnjotovo izručenje Belorusiji. Dana 12. marta 2024. godine, nakon žalbe, odluka je ukinuta i predmet je poslat na ponovno razmatranje. 

Uprkos međunarodnom zahtevu za hitno oslobađanje Andreja Gnjota, koji je u maju pokrenula MFRR kolacija, Viši sud u Beogradu je 13. juna 2024. na ponovljenom suđenju, doneo odluku o izručenju Andreja Gnjota.

Andrej Gnjot je beloruski novinar i suosnivač „Slobodne asocijacije sportista SOS BY“, koja se u Belorusiji smatra „ekstremističkom organizacijom“.

Ako novinar bude izručen Belorusiji, potencijalno bi mogao da se suoči sa dodatnim optužbama za stvaranje ili učešće u ekstremističkoj grupi, za šta je predviđena kazna od do 10 godina zatvora. Prema beloruskom krivičnom zakonu za utaju poreza je predviđena kazna od do sedam godina zatvora.

„Jasno je da su optužbe protiv Andreja Gnjota politički motivisane“, rekla je predsednica EFJ-a Maja Sever. „Uzimajući u obzir povrede ljudskih prava u Belorusiji, uključujući torturu i nepravedna suđenja, snažno pozivamo srpsku ministarku pravde Maju Popović da odmah obustavi proces ekstradicije.”

Zajedno sa Evropskom federacijom novinara (EFJ), medijske organizacije u Srbiji pozivaju vladu da zaštiti Andreja Gnjota i obezbedi njegovu bezbednost i slobodu.

Savet Evrope uvrstio je slučaj Andreja Gnjota na Platformu za zaštitu novinara i bezbednost novinara (COE platforma).

Saopštenje prevedeno i preneto sa portala EFJ.

Serbia: journalist Andrey Gniot must not be extradited to Belarus

The General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, Ricardo Gutiérrez, sent a second appeal to the Minister of Justice, Maja Popović, on behalf of numerous associations of journalists and media associations from Serbia, since no response was received to the first.

Serbian authorities should not extradite Belarusian journalist Andrey Gniot to face criminal charges in Belarus and release him immediately. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), its affiliates in Serbia (UNS, NUNS, Sinos and Nezavisnost) and several journalists’ organisations in Serbia (Association of Independent Electronic Media, Independent Association of Journalists of Vojvodina) call on the Serbian Minister of Justice, Maja Popović, to oppose his extradition.

Serbian authorities detained Gniot upon his arrival in the country on October 30, 2023, based on a September 21 Interpol arrest warrant issued by the Belarusian Interpol bureau, for alleged tax evasion charges. In December 2023, the High Court in Belgrade ruled that the conditions for Gniot’s extradition to Belarus were met. On 12 March 2024, after appeal, the decision was overturned and the case was sent for review.

Despite an international appeal launched in May by the MFRR coalition, on 13 June 2024, on retrial, the High Court in Belgrade ruled to extradite Andrey Gniot.

Andrey Gniot is a Belarusian journalist and co-founder of the “Free Association of Athletes SOS BY”, considered in Belarus as an “extremist organization”. If the journalist is extradited to Belarus, he could potentially face additional charges for creating or participating in an extremist group, which carries up to 10 years in prison, while a tax evasion charge carries up to seven years imprisonment, according to the Belarusian criminal code.

“It is clear that the charges against Andrey Gniot are politically motivated,” said EFJ President Maja Sever. “Taking into account the ongoing human rights violations in Belarus, including torture and unfair trials, we strongly call on the Serbian Minister of Justice Maja Popović to immediately cease the extradition process”.

Together with the EFJ, the journalists’ organisations in Serbia call on the government to provide full protection to Andrey Gniot and to ensure his safety and freedom.

Read the alert co-signed by CPJ and the EFJ on the Council of Europe Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists.

The announcement transferred from the EFJ portal.