A prominent Belarusian film director and dissident, who was detained in Serbia for a year at the request of Belarus, has been freed and has now arrived in Germany.
The filmmaker, Andrei Hniot, was released from house arrest by Serbian authorities on Thursday, marking exactly one year since his initial detention. According to his lawyer, under Serbian law, pre-extradition detention cannot exceed one year.
Belarus had issued an international warrant for Hniot on charges of tax evasion, which he vehemently denies.
Hniot is known for his criticism of Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko and actively participated in the widespread protests that swept the country in 2020 following a disputed presidential election that saw Lukashenko claim a sixth term in office.
The Belarusian government responded to the protests with a severe crackdown on opposition activities, resulting in the arrest of over 65,000 individuals. Many prominent opposition figures are now either imprisoned or have fled the country.
Upon his release, Hniot expressed his relief and gratitude, stating, 'In Berlin, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief and try to comprehend that this nightmarish year is already behind me.'
International pressure played a significant role in securing Hniot's release, with Belarusian opposition figures abroad advocating for his freedom. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a key opposition figure who was forced to leave Belarus after the 2020 election, acknowledged the support of the German Foreign Ministry and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the efforts to secure Hniot's release.
According to the Belarusian human rights group Viasna, there are approximately 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus, including the organization's founder Ales Bialiatski, who is a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
