Activist and political dissident, Andrey Gnyot, currently faces potential extradition from Serbia to Belarus based on charges of tax evasion. Accused of tax evasion amounting to around 300,000 euros, Gnyot’s detention on October 30, 2023, by the Republic of Serbia’s border service comes upon the behest of an international arrest warrant issued by the Republic of Belarus via the National Central Bureau of INTERPOL. (JURIST)
As one of the founders of the Free Athletes Association SOS BY, a group established in response to the controversial 2020 presidential elections in Belarus, Gnyot and his lawyers argue that the tax evasion accusations are a smokescreen for political persecution. The Free Athletes Association has been labelled an “extremist formation” by the State Control Committee after the group attempted to facilitate open dialogue within the athletic community regarding the political landscape in Belarus.
Demanding Gnyot’s extradition for further criminal proceedings in Belarus, the legal team argues that charging him under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus shouldn’t be appliable. Their argument lies in the fact that the alleged act occurred between 2012 to 2018, whereas the implementation of the specific law under which he is currently being charged was not until 2019. This contravenes Article 104 of the Belarusian Constitution, which prohibits retroactive application of the law, unless it serves to lighten or annul a citizen’s responsibility.
In contrast to these suppression efforts from the Belarusian government, Gnyot’s significant contributions to the SOS BY have been recognised. He revealed in the Appeals Court of Belgrade that he created the organisation’s logo, launched the Instagram page, and led the organisation ideologically. Under his leadership, the association has been able to lobby for significant changes such as the cancellation of the Ice Hockey World Championship in Belarus and the suspension of funding for the National Olympic Committee of Belarus, which was chaired by Alexander Lukashenko until February 2021.
Upon learning of his involvement in opposition activities in June 2021, Gnyot decided to leave Belarus. Unaware of the international warrant against him, he arrived in Serbia in October for work-related purposes—a move that consequently led to his detainment.
Gnyot’s lawyers maintain that the Lukashenko regime is co-opting Article 243 of the Criminal Code (tax evasion) to fight political opponents discreetly without infringing Article 3 of the Interpol Constitution. This article explicitly disallows any “intervention or activity of a political, military, religious, or racial character.”
Moreover, the statement of BELPOL (Union of Belarusian Law Enforcement Officers who sided with the people in 2020) alludes to a legitimate concern that Gnyot is the subject of politicized persecution under the Lukashenko regime—a regime criticized for misusing international mechanisms like INTERPOL, to bypass the requirements of the INTERPOL Constitution’s Article 3.
The judgment on Gnyot’s case by the Appeals Court in Serbia is anticipated within the next 20 to 30 days. Legal professionals worldwide will be keeping a close watch on the proceedings.