The Supreme Court in Belgrade decided to extradite the journalist Andrej Gnjot to his native Belarus. Until now, he was under house arrest in Serbia.
Gniet has provided the Serbian judicial system with dozens of documents regarding the danger he faces from Lukashenko's regime. There is no result.
"In court, not only my testimony was presented, but also indisputable facts: resolutions of the UN General Assembly on the situation in Belarus, official letters about my political and journalistic activity, which the dictatorship considers extremist, decisions of the Council of Europe. The prosecutor who signed the order for my search and arrest is included in the list of those sanctioned due to systematic violation of human rights and persecution for political purposes", the journalist explained to the newspaper "Danas".
However, the court in Belgrade refused to consider and report the evidence - 78 in number.
"The decision of the Supreme Court on my extradition is mechanical, as if it is a question of a kilogram of potatoes, not a human life," emphasized Ggnot. He still cannot believe that Serbia will extradite him.
"Honestly, I do not understand how modern Serbia, which has chosen the European direction for development, can do something like this. We are in the center of European civilization, the government of Serbia has adopted an innovative program for the development of the country, and it is excellent, but progress is not possible without respect for human rights, guarantees for human security and respect for human life. I sincerely hope that this is a mistake, the human factor of the Supreme Court, which cannot be ruled out," Gnoth pointed out.
"The decision of the Supreme Court is not a leap into the future, but a fall into the dark past. And that is scary. I am really afraid for my life," he added.
Andrei Gnyot has no doubt that torture or even the death sentence awaits him in Belarus.
"The regime even put the Association of Sportsmen of Belarus on the list of extremist organizations and officially declared the media with which I cooperated, for example Radio Free Europe and many others, as extremist. The famous swimmer, world sports star and pride of Belarus Alexandra Gerasimenya was sentenced in absentia (ie without her presence and her lawyers) to 16 years in prison just because she spoke out against violence and breaking the law," he explained.
Today, Gerasimenya lives in a European Union country because it is safe there. In Belarus, however, the situation is completely opposite.
“But is it safe for me? Of course not. There is a death penalty in Belarus, several death sentences are carried out every year - i.e. people are shot every year," Gniet pointed out.
The journalist is sure that each of these options is absolutely possible in his case as well. And yet he does not lose hope, he is determined to fight for his life.
“I just have no choice. I was already repressed by the Belarusian regime. I spent more than seven months in prison, I have major health problems threatening to lose half of my body - I got partial paralysis of my left leg in prison, although I had no injuries or problems in the past. I must not and cannot stop fighting or my life of less than 42 years will be cut short. I have a lot more to do for myself and for the people," Gnoth said.
"My case is an example for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people in Europe and beyond. Good must conquer evil. The hands of the Belarusian dictatorship are covered in blood, but there should be no Belarusian blood on the hands of Serbia," he added. | BGNES
