[БЕЛ] Заява Беларускага ПЭНа на Дзень пісьменніка ў няволі
[PL] Oświadczenie Białoruskiego PEN z okazji Dnia Uwięzionego Pisarza
November 15 marks the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, established in 1981 by PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee. This day aims to draw attention to the plight of writers, journalists, and intellectuals who face persecution or are imprisoned solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
Governments around the world increasingly attempt to limit the freedom of writers and journalists, forcing them into silence. The overall human rights situation in Belarus continues to deteriorate. Today, Belarus ranks last in Europe in Freedom House’s Freedom in the World ranking. In Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index, Belarus ranks 157 out of 180 countries. According to the Freedom to Write Index by PEN America, in 2023 Belarus ranked sixth worldwide in terms of arrests and imprisonment of writers.
Since August 2020, Belarus has experienced an unprecedented wave of repression against civil society, independent media, and the cultural sector. As of November 7, 2024, there were 1,287 political prisoners in Belarus. As of October 31, 2024, at least 164 cultural figures were imprisoned in Belarus (about 13% of all political prisoners). Among them, at least 38 imprisoned writers (including Belarusian writers, translators, literary researchers, journalists, and intellectuals who create and promote culture, defend free expression and its practitioners) continue to face persecution or politically motivated charges for their activities or civic positions.
Over the past four years, Belarus’s cultural sector has suffered grave repression: cultural figures face censorship and persecution, numerous institutions have been closed, events banned, and books labeled as “extremist.” Such pervasivecrackdown violates the fundamental rights of every single Belarusian. Cultural figures persecuted on political grounds endure cruel and inhuman treatment, face continuous restrictions and pressure, and remain isolated from their families and lawyers.
Human rights groups, including PEN Belarus, also documented how imprisoned writers are periodically placed in solitary confinement for extended periods, where they are forbidden to use even paper and pens, and reading books is prohibited. They are left alone, surrounded by bare walls – a form of torture for creative individuals. We know for a fact that many imprisoned writers attempt to write books in prison; however, we have documented cases of destroyed manuscripts, with no means to receive or preserve them. Undoubtedly, this is a tremendous loss for Belarusian literature and society.
According to the National Human Rights Index, based on assessments by a group of experts coordinated by the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, the index of the right to participate in cultural life in Belarus dropped from 4.6 in 2019 to 1.4 in 2023 (out of a possible 10 points).
PEN Belarus continues to build a space for the development of culture, dialogue, and creativity, defending civil and cultural rights and the freedoms of those who write and speak.
In an effort to support creativity in the most challenging circumstances, PEN Belarus, in collaboration with Radio Liberty, established the Frańcišak Alachnovič Award, which is granted for literary works written in prison and aims to support those who, despite severe restrictions, continue to create and uphold the voice of freedom. In response to the Belarusian authorities’s attempts to divide society, we call on people of letters to help foster unity and dialogue.
On the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, we urge the international community, human rights organizations, media, and every concerned person to advocate for the immediate release of all imprisoned writers and cultural figures in Belarus. We reaffirm our commitment to defending freedom of expression and express solidarity with all those who risk their freedom for truth and creativity.
PEN Belarus
Support the PEN Belarus Statement on the Day of the Imprisoned Writer!