Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in the Cultural Sphere (July 15-31, 2022)

Many Belarusian writers, authors and performers remain under criminal, politically motivated persecution. On July 29, a trial in the criminal case of literary critic Aliaksandar Fiaduta began in the Minsk Regional Court. The authorities extended the detention of human rights defender and literary critic Alies Bialiatski for another 3 months.

Persecution of independent booksellers and publishers persists; publications by independent Belarusian publishing houses continue to be removed from bookstores and libraries. On July 28, at a round table organized by the pro-government Writers’ Union of Belarus in Minsk, the Deputy Minister of Information Ihar Buzouski stated that he could give “many examples of books that should not be in the public space” and that they are “dangerous”.

The state strengthens control over the sphere of culture. On July 25, Aliaksandar Lukashenka signed a law amending and supplementing the norms of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Culture. The law introduces an obligation to obtain a certificate for the right to organize and hold a cultural and entertainment event.

The state claims a monopoly in determining the content of national memory. Against the background of the declared “Year of Historical Remembrance”, there are more and more cases of state vandalism against places of memory. There were destroyed places of memory of Polish soldiers in Ashmiany, Iuye, Yodkavichy, Bahdany, Stryieuka, Vaukavysk. A memorial cross to a Belarusian historian and politician Vatslau Lastouski has been desecrated in the Kurapaty tract near Minsk, the site of mass executions during the USSR.

I. Criminal politically motivated cases against cultural figures, authors and performers

1. On July 18, the Minsk Regional Court issued a decision in the criminal case of Yuliya Chamlai – 2 years in a general regime colony. Yuliya Chamlai is a librarian from Krupki, she was convicted under Art. 369 of the Criminal Code (insulting a representative of the authorities) and Art. 130 of the Criminal Code (inciting social enmity). Yuliya Chamlai was detained on September 30, 2021 in Krupki for comments on social networks related to the death of KGB employee Dzmitry Fiedasiuk and IT specialist Andrei Zeltser. Until the trial, she had been kept in prison No. 8 in Zhodzina.
2. On July 20, it became known that the authorities extended the detention of human rights defender and literary critic Alies Bialiatski for another 3 months. Alies Bialiatski is the chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, a member of the Belarusian PEN, the Union of Belarusian Writers, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ). On July 14, 2021, he was arrested within a criminal case under Part 1 and 2 of Art. 342 (organizing and financing group actions that grossly violate public order) and Part 2 of Art. 243 of the Criminal Code (tax evasion). On October 6, it became known that Alies Bialiatski was charged under one article of the Criminal Code – Part 2 of Art. 243 (tax evasion). In his letters from prison, he sends memories of his work at the Maxim Bahdanovich Literary Museum in 1989–1998.
3. On July 25, it appeared that poet-beekeeper Mikola Papieka was serving his sentence in Mahiliou colony No. 15. The court of Mazyr district changed Mikola Papieka’s “chemistry” (punishment in an open institution) to 8.5 months of prison. Mikola Papieka is a poet, beekeeper, founder of literary “Honey Prize”, social activist. Since September 12, 2021, he had been serving his sentence in an open-type correctional institution in Mazyr. Mikola Papieka was detained on November 30 at home in the village of Linava, Pruzhany district. During the interrogations, Mikola Papieka spoke in Belarusian, demanded an interpreter, and that the documents of the investigators be drawn up in Belarusian. On June 8, 2021, Mikola Papieka was sentenced to 2 years of “chemistry” according to the “Karahod case” (Part 1 of Art. 342 and Part 1 of Art. 75). “The Karahod case” (“Round dance” case) is one of the largest criminal cases related to the post-election protests in Brest. On September 13, a rally was held in Brest as a sign of protest against election falsification and violence. The participants of the peaceful protest marched to the intersection of the avenue, sang songs, and danced in a round dance.
4. On July 26, musician Aliaksandar Kazakievich was detained in Maladziechna, a new criminal case was initiated against him under Art. 369 of the Criminal Code (insulting a representative of the authorities). Aliaksandar Kazakievich was initially detained on April 12, charged under Art. 369 of the Criminal Code (insulting a representative of the authorities), he was kept in the prison in Zhodzina. On July 19, the musician was sentenced to 1.5 years of “home chemistry” and released in the courtroom, after 3 months in prison. On July 26, Aliaksandar Kazakievich was detained and a criminal case was reopened under Art. 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting another “authority representative” committed in 2021. Aliaksandar Kazakievich had played in the band “Conflict”.
5. On July 29, a trial in the criminal case of literary critic Aliaksandar Fiaduta began in the Minsk Regional Court. Aliaksandar Fiaduta was detained on April 12, 2021 in Moscow. The trial was held in public. The schedule of court sessions on the website of the Supreme Court had indicated that the trial would be closed, but the court decided to hear the case in public. As reported by BelTA, this happened through the petition of Aliaksandar Fiaduta: “I am asking to hold the court session in the open mode. This is possible for the following reasons: the materials of the criminal case do not contain information about state secrets or any other secrets covered by law.” Maryna Shybko, a publisher and the wife of Aliaksandar Fiaduta, wrote on her Facebook page about his condition at the trial: “He has lost weight, he walks poorly, because the gout is torturing him, they allowed a cane to be transferred to the pre-trial detention center, you can see 5-6 teeth are missing when he smiles, he has a short haircut, there are circles under his eyes. Indeed, prison does not beautify.” Aliaksandar Fiaduta is accused according to Part 1 of Art. 357 of the Criminal Code (conspiracy to seize state power by unconstitutional means). Aliaksandar Fiaduta is a writer, editor, journalist, translator, literary critic (doctor of humanities habilitated in the specialty “Literary Studies”), publisher, political analyst. Member of the Belarusian PEN, the Union of Belarusian Writers, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ).

II. Politically motivated administrative detentions and arrests of cultural figures, authors and performers

1. On July 19, tattoo artist Alieh Falei was detained and sentenced to 15 days in Minsk. In the “repentant video” that appeared on pro-government Telegram channels, he says that in August 2020 he attended one of the protest marches, after which he left an inscription “Long live Belarus” in the entrance of a building.
2. On July 19, it became known that the former guitarist of the band “Dzieciuki” Andrei Pudzin had been arrested for 15 days, according to preliminary information, for subscribing to independent Telegram channels.
3. On July 25, Belarusian language teacher Halina Taranouskaya was detained in Minsk for having participated in the peaceful protest rallies of 2020.
4. On July 28, Sniazhana Rohach, Master of history, former lecturer of the Department of Political Science, Sociology and Social Management of BNTU, was detained in Minsk. Friends reported about her arrest on social networks. In 2021, Sniazhana Rohach was fired from her job for her civil position. According to preliminary information, the reason for the detention was “insulting a representative of the authorities”.
5. On July 28, it became known that Katsiaryna Vinakurava was convicted in the Navapolatsk City Court, according to Art. 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (distribution, production, storage, transportation of information products containing calls to extremist activities or promoting such activities) for reposting an article from “Nasha Niva” about the death of a poet and artist Michal Aniempadystau in 2018. The court’s decision is a fine of 25 base units (800 rubles).

III. Strengthening of state control over the sphere of culture

On July 25, Aliaksandar Lukashenka signed a law amending and supplementing the norms of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Culture. The law imposes an obligation to obtain a certificate for the right to organize and hold a cultural and entertainment event by all organizers, except for physical entities who hold the event for their own needs and without making a profit (anniversaries, weddings, etc.). Only organizations from the state register can hold events. The law also contains changes in the spheres of library, museum, craft activities, cinematography, and folk art.

VII. Repression in relation to the book industry

On July 28, at a round table organized by the pro-government Writers’ Union of Belarus in Minsk, the Deputy Minister of Information ​Ihar Buzouski​ ​stated that he could give “many examples of books that should not be in public space” and that they are “dangerous”. It is a great fortune that we do not see them on the bookshelves today, a great fortune that we have the will, strength, understanding and awareness that this is the most terrible, the most powerful weapon. I am talking about books. Lack of understanding that a book is a much more powerful weapon than missiles and tanks leads to the fact that missiles and tanks have to be deployed.”

V. DeBelarusization

Visual products related to culture are created in Russian. For example, on August 6, the traditional “Halshany Castle” festival, now in its ninth year, will be held in the town of Halshany in Ashmiany district. There is not a single word in Belarusian on the poster with the program of the festival. Posters dedicated to the “Year of Historical Remembrance” are designed in Russian.

VI. State vandalism of memorial sites

1. A memorial cross to a Belarusian historian and politician Vatslau Lastouski has been desecrated in the Kurapaty tract near Minsk, the site of mass executions during the USSR.
2. A burial of Polish soldiers from the Second World War in the village of Stryieuka in Hrodna region has been destroyed. There had been a monument erected in the memory of more than 30 soldiers of the Home Army who died in 1943 during a clash with the fascist gendarmerie.