Statement: Hate Speech and Ethnic Intolerance Are Unadmissable

[Pareiškimas lietuvių kalba yra čia] [Заява па-беларуску тут] We, PEN Belarus, and other human rights and cultural organizations that have signed this statem...

Chronicle of human rights violations in the sphere of culture (15-31 July 2025)

As of 31 July 2025, at least 158 cultural figures, including 39 writers, were not free – either imprisoned or in home confinement. Librarian Nastassia Trubčy...

Prints featuring Aleś Bialacki and Maksim Znak

May 21 – Day of Political Prisoners in Belarus. On this day three years ago, political prisoner and activist Vitold Ašurak was tortured to death in a colony....

Participation in Cultural Life as an Offence. Belarusian Civil Society Report on Sustainable Development Goals Implementation

These days, Belarus is presenting its report on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum. Belarusian civil s...

Monitoring of violations of cultural rights and human rights of cultural figures. Belarus, January – June 2025

[БЕЛ: Чытаць маніторынг па-беларуску] [РУС: Читать мониторинг по-русски] This report is based on aggregated information collected by the PEN Belarus monitori...

Imprisoned writers (38)

Imprisoned writers - Belarusian writers, translators, and literary researchers, publicists, intellectuals, and those who create and expand culture, protect t...
Cultural rights

Belarus: Five years of relentless crackdown on cultural rights

‘Belarusian culture, language and identity have come under sustained onslaught over the past five years. It is high t...
UPR-2025: Joint submission by PEN Belarus, PEN International, PEN America
Download the UPR submission in pdf Joint submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the Republic of Belarus by PE...
Chronicle of human rights violations in the sphere of culture (15-31 July 2025)
As of 31 July 2025, at least 158 cultural figures, including 39 writers, were not free – either imprisoned or in home...
Monitoring of violations of cultural rights and human rights of cultural figures. Belarus, January – June 2025
[БЕЛ: Чытаць маніторынг па-беларуску] [РУС: Читать мониторинг по-русски] This report is based on aggregated informati...
Banned books
I. Literature included in the ‘extremist materials’ list in Belarus We include here selected works of fic...
Creative Projects

“Everyone must strengthen the potential for resistance”: a photo report from the meeting with Svetlana Alexievich

A meeting with Svetlana Alexievich in Warsaw brought together about 500 people—those inspired by the word and searchi...
Svetlana Alexievich: Pain is not the ultimate meaning. It is only the beginning
In our conversation, the writer returns to the image of the “red man” and the tragedy of generations, reflecting on p...
Warsztat Tłumaczeniowy – pierwsze spotkanie na żywo w Warszawie!
To w końcu się wydarzy! Po serii zajęć online przenosimy się do rzeczywistości i spotykamy offline! Jeśli jesteś tłum...
Solidarity
Georgia: Prison sentence for Mzia Amaglobeli condemned
Belarus: Five years of relentless crackdown on cultural rights
Georgia: Alarming Human Rights Crisis Highlighted by Writers’ Groups
Türkiye: Writer Yavuz Ekinci on trial again as spurious terror-propaganda case resumes
Georgia: Release renowned poet and translator Zviad Ratiani
Montenegro: Academic freedom and expression under threat
Türkiye: Release and end judicial harassment of Furkan Karabay
Türkiye: Release and drop charges against journalists Hamza Kaan and Mehmet Üçar
Ukraine/Russian Federation: Investigate torture and death in custody of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna