Andrei Hniot safely left Serbia after spending more than a year under arrest. The Belarusian activist, who co-founded the SOS BY Free Association of Belarus Sportspeople, was detained on October 30, 2023, in Belgrade.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya welcomes Andrei Hniot’s release and thanks everyone who fought for his freedom over the past year:
“This is truly wonderful news. Let me congratulate Andrei on his long-awaited freedom, and wish him a peaceful and safe future. We must not allow the Lukashenka regime to keep using international mechanisms to target activists. And we will fight for each person who falls victim to the regime’s repression.
We are grateful to everyone who worked tirelessly for Andrei’s release: the lawyers, politicians, journalists, human rights defenders, diplomats, and all who supported Andrei financially. I also extend my gratitude to the President of Serbia and his team for working closely with us on Andrei’s case in recent months. I am also very grateful to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the EU member states, and especially the German Federal Foreign Office for their support”.
📌 On July 18, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya raised the issue of Andrei Hniot’s release with the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić. Since then, the International Department of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office has been in contact with the President’s team in Serbia.
📌 Alongside the United Transitional Cabinet, the Coordination Council, and the National Anti-Crisis Management, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office drew international attention from the very beginning to the political motivations behind Andrei’s detention and the threat posed to him by possible extradition to Belarus.
📌 Appeals were sent to the European Union, UN human rights bodies, and Serbian authorities to prevent Andrei’s extradition. Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission and several EU leaders played a vital role in safeguarding Andrei.
📌 Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office maintained continuous contact with the embassies of the EU member states and the US in Serbia and the German Federal Foreign Office.
📌 The cancellation of Interpol’s red notice against Andrei marked a significant achievement in the joint effort by Andrei’s lawyers and Belarus’ democratic forces.
📌 Several parliaments, including the European Parliament and the Polish Parliament, the Community of Democracies, and other international organizations, released statements in support of Andrei Hniot.
