As of 15 January 2025, at least 170 cultural figures, including not less than 37 People of Word, were not free – behind bars or in home confinement.
Singer and poet Siarhiej Michałok is charged with insulting the president under Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code.
Photographers Jaŭhien Kanaploŭ and Julija Lejdzik are charged with gross violation of public order under Article 342 of the Criminal Code.
History teacher Sviatłana Sašenka was prosecuted for subscribing to independent information outlets.
Actor, travel blogger, and athlete Dzmitry Anoška was prosecuted for “violating the procedure for organizing or conducting mass events.”
The state TV channel ONT aired a propaganda piece filmed in the KGB detention centre featuring political prisoner, journalist, and poet Andrej Kuzniečyk. In the video, he appears emaciated and exhausted.
The state TV channel ONT aired a propaganda piece filmed in the KGB detention centre featuring a political prisoner, journalist, essayist, author of texts about Belarusian cultural and historical heritage, and travel blogger Ihar Karniej. He was brought to the “interview” in handcuffs.
The authorities in Belarus added the books An Outline of Belarusian History (1795–2002)” by Zachar Šybieka and Secrets of Belarusian History by Vadzim Dzieružynski to the list of “extremist literature.”
I. Criminal prosecution of cultural figures, authors, and performers
1. On 11 January, it became known that singer and poet Siarhiej Michałok was accused under Part 1 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code (insulting the president). He was declared wanted in Belarus, and his photo was placed on a special “Wanted by the Police” board. Since 2015, Siarhiej Michałok has lived in Ukraine before relocating to Estonia in 2022. He continues touring Europe, openly supporting Ukraine. Michałok performs some of the hits from his bands Lyapis Trubetskoy and Brutto in Ukrainian.
2. On 11 January, it also became known that photographers Jaŭhien Kanaploŭ and Julija Lejdzik were accused under Article 342 of the Criminal Code (gross violation of public order). They were declared wanted in Belarus, and their photos were placed on a special “Wanted by the Police” board.
II. Detentions and administrative trials
1. On 8 January, the Rečyca District Court heard an administrative case against history teacher Sviatłana Sašenka for subscribing to independent information sources under Part 2 of Article 19.11 of the Code of Administrative Offences (dissemination of information included in the list of extremist materials).
2. On 13 January, in Navapolack, actor, travel blogger, and athlete Dzmitry Anoška appeared in court under Part 1 of Article 24.23 of the Code of Administrative Offences (violating the procedure for organizing or conducting mass events).
III. Conditions in the places of incarceration
1. On 14 January, the state television channel ONT aired a propaganda broadcast filmed in the KGB detention centre about political prisoner, journalist, and poet Andrej Kuzniečyk. In the video, he appeared emaciated and exhausted. Andrej Kuzniečyk is the author of poems and a Belarusian-language cycling blog, “BelaVela,” as well as a translator from Slovenian. He was accused under Part 1 of Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code (creating or participating in an extremist formation). On 8 June 2022, Mahiloŭ Regional Court heard Andrej Kuzniečyk’s case behind closed doors and sentenced him to six years in a medium-security penal colony.
2. On 15 January, the state television channel ONT aired a propaganda video filmed in the KGB detention centre about political prisoner, journalist, essayist, author of texts on Belarusian cultural and historical heritage, and travel blogger Ihar Karniej. He was brought to the “interview” in handcuffs. Ihar Karniej was detained in Minsk on 17 July 2023. His trial began at the Minsk City Court on 19 March 2024. Before the trial, the reason for his arrest was not disclosed. According to a publication in the state-owned newspaper Belarus Segodnya, the criminal charges stemmed from his cooperation with the human rights organization “Belarusian Association of Journalists” (BAJ), which the Supreme Court stripped of its legal status in 2021, and the KGB declared an “extremist formation” in early 2023. According to the prosecution, Ihar Karniej continued collaborating with BAJ, creating “negative materials with insults directed at the head of state, government officials, journalists, and citizens who do not support unconstitutional changes to power” for the organization’s information outlets. On 22 March 2024, the Minsk City Court sentenced Ihar Karniej under Part 3 of Article 361.1 of the Criminal Code (participation in an extremist formation) to three years in a minimum-security penal colony. On 11 December 2024, in Škłoŭ, he received an additional sentence of eight months in prison under Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the demands of the correctional facility administration).
IV. Repressions in the book sector
The Ministry of Information added the books An Outline of Belarusian History (1795–2002)” by Zachar Šybieka and Secrets of Belarusian History by Vadzim Dzieružynski to the list of “extremist literature.”