A chorus of international voices is calling for the protection of Andrei Hniot, a Belarusian filmmaker and vocal critic of President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime. Over 70 European artists and film directors have signed an open letter urging Serbia, where Hniot is currently seeking refuge, to refrain from extraditing him back to Belarus. The letter warns that his return could lead to severe persecution, including imprisonment, torture, or even the death penalty, due to the Belarusian government’s documented history of cracking down on dissent.
Hniot, a prominent figure in the Belarusian film scene, gained notoriety for his coverage of the massive protests that erupted in 2020 against Lukashenko’s disputed reelection. He documented the subsequent harsh crackdown on dissent by the Belarusian government, leading him to flee to Serbia. However, he was arrested in Serbia last October based on an Interpol warrant requested by Belarus. While Hniot has fought against his extradition in court, a final appeal is scheduled for Tuesday.
Signatories of the letter include prominent figures like French actress Juliette Binoche, Belarusian Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich, Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov, Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa, and Polish director Agnieszka Holland. They emphasize that Hniot is being targeted for his activism against the regime’s human rights abuses and election fraud. They believe the extradition request is a tactic employed by the Belarusian government to silence critics and discourage dissent.
“It is illegal under international law to send someone to a country where they will most certainly face torture,” said Volia Chajkouskaya, a co-founder of the Belarusian Independent Film Academy (BIFA) and one of the organizers of the campaign in Hniot’s support. “Now, it is a matter of life and death for this filmmaker. If extradited, Andrei faces torture, years in inhumane conditions or worse,” stated Agnieszka Holland.
The Belarusian rights group Viasna reports a chilling reality: over 65,000 individuals have faced political repression in Belarus since 2020, with over 1,300 currently imprisoned as political prisoners. Among those imprisoned are Viasna’s founder and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski. At least six political prisoners have died in custody. The plea for Hniot’s safety highlights the dire situation faced by critics of the Belarusian government and the potential consequences of returning to the country. The international community’s attention is focused on Serbia as it grapples with a decision that could have devastating implications for a filmmaker who dared to speak out against an authoritarian regime.
