As of 15 February 2024, at least 159 cultural figures, including not less than 36 People of the Word, were behind bars.
Poet and organizer of cultural events Aksana Jučkavič was charged in a criminal case. She was placed in pre-trial prison No. 8 in Žodzina.
Artist Hanna Kruk was sentenced to three years of restricted freedom in home confinement.
A criminal case was opened against writer Saša Filipienka (Sasha Filipenko).
Charges were brought against video operator and documentary filmmaker Jaŭhien Hlušakoŭ.
Barys Chamajda was fined an amount of 15 base units (600 BYN = $183).
An administrative trial was held against public activist and historian Vasil Paliakoŭ
Authorities closed the exhibition “1.10 Square”, dedicated to the 110th anniversary of Kazimir Malevich’s painting Black Square.
The exhibition “Life through Outlines and Lines”, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the people’s writer Vasil Bykaŭ, was closed ahead of schedule.
I. Politically motivated criminal cases against cultural workers, authors and performers
1. On 3 February, it became known that Aksana Jučkavič, detained on 23 January, was charged under Art. 342 of the Criminal Code (organizing, preparing or actively participating in actions that grossly violate public order). She was placed in pre-trial prison No. 8 in Žodzina.
Aksana Jučkavič is a poet, organizer of cultural events, journalist, and author of the children’s poetry collection “Saint Nicholas, Come Visit Us!” and one of the creators of the children’s Christian video program “Angels from the Rainbow.” She was engaged in scientific research in Belarusian philology and taught Polish language courses. In 2020, she was among those detained at the Dziady in Kurapaty and spent nine days behind bars.
2. On 5 February, the criminal trial of Paranoia Dolls music band member Dzmitry Šalak began in Navapolack under Art. 369 (insulting a government representative) and Part 1 of Art. 368 of the Criminal Code (insulting the president).
3. On 8 February, Minsk’s Kastryčnicki District Court sentenced artist Hanna Kruk under Part 1 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code (organizing, preparing or participating in actions that violated public order) to three years of restriction of freedom in home confinement. Hanna Kruk was detained on 29 November 2023 in the Marks cafe in Minsk and tried under Art. 24.23 of the Code of Administrative Offences (unauthorized picketing). According to the offence report, Hanna Kruk “demonstrated a painting with the white-red-white flag, thus making it available to an unlimited number of people.” She was arrested for 13 days. On 5 January 2024, it became known that a criminal case had been opened against Hanna Kruk.
4. On 13 February, it became known that in Mahilioŭ, video operator and documentary filmmaker Jaŭhien Hlušakoŭ was charged with participating in an “extremist formation” in a criminal case against the journalist likely opened under Art. 361.1 of the Criminal Code (creating or participating in an extremist formation). Jaŭhien Hlušakoŭ was detained on 4 January in Mahilioŭ. He is known for making videos about culture, Belarusian history, rock bands, and human rights. Jaŭhien was an active participant in the online community “Lištva”, dedicated to the wooden architectural heritage of Mahilioŭ.
5. On 14 February, it became known that a criminal case had been opened against writer Saša Filipienka (Sasha Filipenko). According to the writer, his father signed the documents related to the criminal case during an interrogation at the police station. The father’s flat – Saša Filipienka is registered there – was searched. “Dad said that when they talked to him at the police station, they put printed photos of me with the president of Switzerland, Sviatlana Cichanoŭskaja, the German minister of culture, in front of him. The police officers poked their fingers in these photos and asked questions. Dad signed the protocol, which said that a criminal case had been opened against me. We do not know about the charges yet. In addition to this one, we only know that two other criminal cases would be opened soon,” Saša Filipienka said in an interview with Novaya Gazeta.
II. Politically motivated administrative detentions and arrests of cultural figures
1. On 2 February, Viciebsk’s Peršamajski District Court issued a verdict in the administrative case opened on 24 January against civil activist and literature distributor Barys Chamajda under Part 2 of Art. 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offences for subscriptions to independent news outlets. The court awarded a fine of 15 base units (600 BYN = $183).
2. On 9 February, public activist and historian Vasil Paliakoŭ stood another trial in Homiel under Part 2 of Art. 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offences (distribution of extremist products). On 23 January 2024, he was sentenced to 15 days of arrest. Vasil Paliakoŭ is a former history teacher fired for political reasons.
III. Trials and arrests for using Belarusian and Ukrainian national symbols
Blogger Vital Uscinovič was detained in Viciebsk over the videos from 2021-2022 containing the image of a white-red-white flag. He spent a day behind bars and published a video before the trial, talking about his detention: “They conducted explanatory work, drew up a report. According to the offence report, I was rallying using a flag. But there was no politics there.” The police took Vital Uscinovič’s phone, which he used to have shot his videos. The trial was postponed.
IV. Conditions in places of confinement, tortures of prisoners
1. On 8 February, it became known about the conditions in prison of journalist and essayist Andrei Pačobut (Andrzej Poczobut). The wife of the political prisoner, Aksana Pačobut, wrote on Facebook: “Today is exactly one year since Andrzej was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment. Since he went to serve his sentence in the Navapolack penal colony, he hasn’t had a single meeting, a single call, or a single parcel. They deprive him of absolutely everything.”
2. Political prisoner (flautist and public figure) Maryja Kalesnikava is held incommunicado. The last letter from her was received on 15 February 2023. Meetings with her father are prohibited. Maryja Kalesnikava was detained on 7 September 2020 and later sentenced to 11 years in prison.
V. Censorship
1. On 2 February, the “1.10 Square” exhibition, dedicated to the 110th anniversary of Kazimir Malevich’s painting Black Square, was closed at the Palace of Arts in Minsk. The exhibition opened on 1 February and was supposed to run until 3 March. After two days of work, the Palace of Arts posted on social media that the project was suspended for “technical reasons.”
2. On 5 February, the exhibition “Life through Outlines and Lines”, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the people’s writer Vasil Bykaŭ, closed ahead of schedule in the State Museum of the History of Belarusian Literature. The exhibition opened on 25 January and was supposed to run until 5 May but was only available for ten days. The exhibition revealed the writer as an artist, showcasing Vasil Bykaŭ’s 70 graphic works and paintings.