Yesterday, August 12, 2015, Russian journalist and unionist Andrei Nekrasov, following almost a full month of incarceration at Central Prisons on the strength of a court order for his arrest and extradition to Russia, which issued an international arrest warrant for his prosecution, was transferred to Lithuania, per the provisions of the Dublin Regulation, where, upon arrival at 10:20 am, a review of his asylum request by the Lithuanian authorities began. During his incarceration, Mr Nekrasov prepared a letter addressed to all who supported his effort, which we attach in Greek and English.
It is noted that on August 11, 2015, Andrei Nekrasov was brought before the Larnaca District Court, where the state’s Legal Service withdrew its request for his extradition to Russia, resulting in a court order for his immediate release. Sadly, immediately after his court-ordered release, Mr Nekrasov was once again arrested, this time on the strength of detention and deportation orders issued by the acting Director of the Civil Registry and Migration Department, just so that he could be transported to the airport to await his flight to Lithuania, in the absence of any legal or actual reasoning behind such orders, especially given that he had clearly expressed his desire to be sent back to Lithuania himself in writing.
KISA and the Union of Cypriot Journalist, which supported the efforts of Mr Nekrasov and all the international organisations supporting him, welcome the positive outcome of his case, and the achievement of the originally sought goal of not being extradited to Russia, and instead being transported to Lithuania for his asylum request to be examined. With the exception of his incarceration and the issuance of detention and deportation orders against him, it is positive that the state operated lawfully and in full accordance with its international and European obligations on asylum and respect of human rights, and far from political pressure and other expediencies mandated by the Russian authorities, which have launched a campaign of political persecution against the Russian journalist for his political beliefs and professional endeavours.
– KISA – Action for Equality, Support, Antiracism
– Union of Cyprus Journalists
