The Appeals Court has overturned the lower court's decision to extradite Belarusian activist Andrei Gnyot, his lawyer Filip Sofijanic told N1.
“The decision to overturn the ruling was posted on the Appeals Court’s website, and it nullifies the lower court’s decision to extradite Andrei Gnyot,” said Gnyot’s lawyer, describing the decision as legally sound and just.
For Andrei Gnyot and his defense, the Appeals Court’s decision means the case will be returned to the High Court in Belgrade for reconsideration, for the third time. In the new proceedings, the High Court can decide whether or not the conditions for extradition are met, explained Sofijanic.
“If the court again decides that the conditions are met, we will appeal that decision once more,” he told N1.
The Belarusian activist is under house arrest until October 30, after which this measure must be lifted.
Gnyot was detained in Belgrade in October 2023, based on an Interpol arrest warrant for alleged tax evasion. The High Court has already ruled twice that the conditions for his extradition were met, which his lawyers appealed to the Appeals Court. Before the Appeals Court, Gnyot reiterated that extradition to Belarus would mean imprisonment, torture, and death for him, as he claims this is how critics of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime end up.
