EP adopts resolution, urges Serbia not to extradite Belarusian activist Gnyot

The resolution, adopted 565-8 with 43 abstentions, noted the “abuse of Interpol arrest warrants to achieve extradition of political opponents from non-EU countries,” said RFE.

It also expressed concern over the estimated 300,000 Belarusians who have been forced to leave Belarus since 2020 and now face political persecution abroad.

Gnyot was arrested at Belgrade’s airport in late October 2023 on an Interpol warrant issued by Belarus, which has since been revoked. The arrest warrant accused Gnyot of tax evasion, a charge he denies. He has been under house arrest while awaiting Serbia’s final decision on his extradition.

The European Parliament’s resolution calls on Serbia to refrain from extraditing Hnyot and for the European Union (EU) and member states to monitor his case, reported RFE.

Gnyot says all accusations against him are false and part of the Belarusian regime’s “horrific repression against political dissidents, journalists, and activists,” and that he would be tortured if he were returned to Belarus.