Serbia mulls extraditing Belarusian video director to Belarus

February 19, Pozirk. An appellate court in Belgrade has considered an extradition case against Belarusian video director Andrej Hniot, Deutsche Welle reported.

The court is expected to announce its decision within 30 days.

Serbia arrested Hniot, targeted through Interpol at the request of Minsk, on October 30, 2023. He is accused of an economic offense, but his defense considers the prosecution politically motivated. He is named as a founder of the SOS BY athletics association, which was designated as an “extremist group” in 2022.

Hniot directed TV commercials and music videos, and is also a journalist.

In 2022, he won Effie Russia. In 2016, Marketing.by called Hniot “one of the most famous and in-demand” Belarusian directors. His clients included prominent Belarusian brands such as Mark Formelle, Alivaria Brewery, and World Of Tanks.

The office of opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja said it has prepared letters of support for the arrested filmmaker, while the BelPol resistance group has compiled a file to prove that his persecution is politically motivated.