{"id":84047,"date":"2024-05-07T15:15:01","date_gmt":"2024-05-07T12:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/84047\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"eu-media-freedom-watchdog-demands-belgrade-to-release-belarusian-filmmaker-hniot","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/84047\/","title":{"rendered":"EU media freedom group demands that Belgrade release Belarusian filmmaker Hniot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Andrej Hniot's Instagram page)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

May 7, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRS) project tracking violations of media freedom across the European Union have signed an appeal demanding an immediate release of Belarusian filmmaker Andrej Hniot from a Serbian prison, the International Press Institute reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hniot is “held in custody by Serbian authorities on politically-motivated charges formulated by the regime of Alaksandar \u0141ukasenka,” rights groups said, urging Belgrade to “take into account the unimaginable scale of repression of independent media in Belarus.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), the European Federation of Journalists, the European Center for Press and Media Freedom signed the appeal among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hniot’s case remains undecided, Barys Harecki, deputy head at BAJ, has told Pozirk<\/em>. Last week, his lawyers reportedly asked the court to transfer him under house arrest because of poor health. They even rented an apartment, but Hniot is still behind bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hniot is known as a director of TV commercials and music videos. He engaged in video production for the SOS.by association, which Belarusian police branded an extremist group. He has also cooperated with Russia’s Current Time<\/em> television network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serbian border guards arrested Hniot and handed him over to police in October 2023 because Belarus put him on an international wanted list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On March 12, an appellate court in Belgrade overruled the decision to extradite Hniot to Belarus but a final\u00a0decision has not yet been made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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