On 7 April the Prosecutor General’s office in Belarus denied Russia’s request to extradite Jehovah’s Witness Nikolai Makhalichev. Nikolai Makhalichev is facing unfounded charges of ‘extremism’ in Russia, stemming solely from exercising his right to freedom of religion, which led to his detention in Belarus on 21 February. Following the refusal to extradite him to Russia, Nikolai Makhalichev was immediately freed from detention. He is now awaiting the decision on his asylum application in Belarus.
