As of 31 July 2024, at least 163 cultural figures, including not less than 38 People of the Word, were behind bars.
Illustrator Natalla Levaja was sentenced to six years and a considerable fine.
Cultural blogger Aleś Sabaleūski received four years in a minimum-security penal colony, documentary filmmaker Jaūhien Hłušakoū – three years in a minimum-security colony. Each of them also was sentenced to a fine of 200 base rates or 8000 BYN (~ $2440).
The criminal trial of human rights defender, writer, and journalist Uładzimir Chilmanovič began in the Hrodna district court.
Criminal cases were opened against the mother and aunt of the prison literature author, Alaksandr Franckievič.
Roman Catholic priest Andžej Juchnievič is behind bars. He posted national symbols and prayed for the people of Ukraine on Facebook.
Police searched the seized flat of a local history enthusiast and editor of the orsha.eu website, Ihar Kazmierčak.
І. Criminal prosecution of cultural figures, authors, and performers
1. On 17 July, the Brest Regional Court convicted illustrator Natalla Levaja was convicted under criminal charges for donating to solidarity initiatives and funds and received six years in a minimum-security penal colony and a fine of 1,000 base rates, or 40,000 BYN (~$12,216). The trial was held behind closed doors. Natalla Levaja was found guilty under Part 2 of Article 361.1 of the Criminal Code (financing extremist activities) and Part 2, Article 361.3 of the Criminal Code (funding the participation in combat on the territory of a foreign state).
2. On 27 July, the Hrodna District Court started a criminal trial of human rights defender, writer, and journalist Uładzimir Chilmanovič in absentia under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 361.4 of the Criminal Code (facilitating extremist activities) and Part 3 of Article 361.1 of the Criminal Code (participating in an extremist formation).
On 31 July, the Mahilioū Regional Court sentenced cultural blogger Aleś Sabaleūski to four years and documentary filmmaker Jaūhien Hłuškoū to three years in a minimum-security penal colony, as well as a fine in the amount of 200 base rates, or 8,000 BYN (~ $2,440) each. Aleś Sabaleūski and Jaūhien Hłuškoū were convicted under three articles of the Criminal Code: Part 1, Article 361.3 (participating as a citizen of the Republic of Belarus in combat on the territory of a foreign state without authorisation by the state), Part 1, Article 361.1 (creating an extremist formation), Part 3 of Article 361.1 (participating in an extremist formation).
II. Persecution of family members of politically imprisoned cultural figures and writers
On 19 July, police in Vaūkavysk detained Tacciana Franckievič, the mother of political prisoner and prison literature author Alaksandr Franckievič, and her sister Natalla Łabacevič. The detention occurred at penal colony No 11, where they had brought a parcel for Alaksandr. A criminal case was opened against the two ladies under Article 361.4 of the Criminal Code (facilitating extremist activities). Alaksandr Franckievič is an anarchist movement activist, writer, and author of prison literature. He was repeatedly subjected to administrative and criminal prosecution for his civil position and participation in protests and has been recognised as a political prisoner twice. Behind bars, he wrote two short stories, The Diary of a Lost Girl and Hug Me Tighter. The stories were included in the book Voice of Freedom from Behind Bars. Anthology of works of Belarusian political prisoners (Vilnius, 2013). In 2013, for the short story Hug Me Tighter, Alaksandr Franckievič became the laureate of the Francišak Alachnovič Award, founded jointly by PEN Belarus and Radio Svaboda, given for the best work written in prison. Alaksandr Franckievič was arrested on August 13, 2020. On September 6, 2022, the Minsk City Court sentenced Alaksandr Franckievič to 17 years in a medium-security penal colony and fined him 22,400 BYN (over $8,800).
III. Repressions for Belarusian and Ukrainian national symbols
Andžej Juchnievič, a Roman Catholic priest from Šumilina, has been behind bars since 8 May. Following several administrative arrests, a criminal case was opened against him. On 10 May, Viciebsk’s Pieršamajski District Court sentenced him to his first arrest of 15 days for a “picket on social media.” During the trial, Andžej Juchnievič confirmed that he was a Facebook user and had an account where he posted a photo on a white-red-white background. He admitted that he had posted an image of the national Ukrainian flag. The website of the Oblate missionaries published Andžej Juchnievič’s statement about the war against Ukraine. It reads: “I want to express our deep solidarity and spiritual support to our brothers in Ukraine and the entire Ukrainian people. […] We decided to pray every day together with our parishioners for the conversion to the faith of Russia and Belarus and the immediate end of the war in Ukraine.”
IV. Conditions in places of confinement
On 24 July, it became known that the local history enthusiast and activist Uładzimir Hundar was once again denied a short meeting with family, which was supposed to be in September. The prison administration did not reveal the reason for punishment. Uladzimir Hundar is a political prisoner with a Grade 2 disability (he has no legs), convicted in the “Aūtuchovič case” and sentenced to 20 years in a medium-security penal colony. Behind bars, he writes poems in Belarusian.
V. Prosecution of cultural figures who fled Belarus due to political persecution
On 23 July, police searched the flat of the editor of the orsha.eu website, local historian, actor by education Ihar Kazmierčak in Orša. In 2021, he was forced to leave Belarus under the threat of criminal prosecution. The searched flat was arrested in 2023 on orders from the Investigative Committee. Ihar Kazmierčak is a defendant in the criminal case initiated against persons who were associated with the independent media outlets labelled as “extremist formations”.