Renowned French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop has added her voice to the growing international call for the release of Belarussian filmmaker-activist Andrei Gnyot.
Diop, known for her award-winning documentary Dahomey, joins other esteemed colleagues such as Agnieszka Holland, Juliette Binoche, Arthur Harari, Sandra Hüller, Matthijs Wouter Knol, Damir Ibrahimović, Rebecca O’Brien, and other filmmakers in calling for Gnyot’s freedom.
Gnyot, widely recognized for his courageous documentation of the 2020 Belarusian protests and recording athletes’ appeals for free and fair elections, was arrested in Serbia in 2023 following an Interpol search request issued by the Belarusian government.
Although Interpol later canceled the request, Serbian authorities have continued to detain him, raising serious concerns among human rights organizations and the global film community.
In an appeal addressed to Serbia’s Minister of Justice, Maja Popović, and the Court of Appeal in Belgrade, a coalition of international human rights groups, filmmakers, and activists are urging Serbian authorities to block Gnyot’s extradition to Belarus.
“Andrei Gnyot is recognized by international human rights organizations as a political prisoner,” the appeal states. “Under international law, which prohibits torture and inhuman treatment, Serbia must provide protection to Andrei Gnyot. We call on the Serbian government to ensure his safety and freedom.”
The situation has sparked outrage within the international film community. The “Artists for Andrei” campaign, spearheaded by actor Mitya Savelau and filmmaker Volia Chajkouskaya, co-founder of the Belarusian Independent Film Academy (BIFA), has garnered widespread support, including from the European Film Academy (EFA). BIFA and EFA have since demanded Gnyot’s release.
According to the BBC, the Court of Belgrade now has about a month to decide on whether the filmmaker will be extradited.
