Chronicle of human rights violations in the sphere of culture (15-31 October 2026)

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As of 31 October 2026, at least 115 cultural figures, including at least 19 writers, were either imprisoned or under home confinement. The number of banned books remained at 390.

Political prisoner, poet and journalist Dziаnis Ivašyn is believed to have been placed in a punishment cell.

The health of imprisoned poet Valery Pazniakievič has deteriorated at an open-type correctional facility in Mahiloŭ.

Local authorities in Kobryn have prohibited Halloween celebrations.

The following social media accounts were designated as ‘extremist information products’: the Instagram page of cultural figure Siarhiej Budkin; the YouTube channel of former political prisoner and cultural journalist Jaŭhien Hłuškoŭ; the Instagram page and Threads account of entertainer and writer Dziаnis Dudzinski; the Facebook page of actor Vasil Kałač; the Facebook page of former political prisoner and administrator of the ‘Rezystans’ Telegram channel Mikita Slepiаnok; and the Facebook page of photographer and cultural manager Julija Daraškievič.

The following accounts were also designated as ‘extremist information products’: the Instagram page of the re-established Ivan Łuckievič Belarusian Museum in Vilnius; the Instagram page of Belarusian House; the Instagram page of Belarusian Radio Racyja; and the Facebook page of the Bulba HaЎse creative space.

The state-run newspaper Litaratura i Mastactva (Literature and Art) has ceased operation as a media outlet.

I. Conditions in places of incarceration

1. Political prisoner, poet and journalist Dziаnis Ivašyn missed his second scheduled telephone call. His wife, Volha Ivašyna, believes that he may have been placed in a punishment cell. In 2024, Dziаnis Ivašyn won the Francišak Alachnovič Prize for the best literary work written in prison, for a cycle of prison poems.

2. During his time behind bars in Mahiloŭ, political prisoner and poet Valery Pazniakievič repeatedly lost consciousness because of heart problems and blood pressure fluctuations and sought medical assistance on numerous occasions.

On 14 August 2025, the Minsk District Court sentenced Valery Pazniakievič under Part 2 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code (‘Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus’) to three years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility.

II. Censorship and cancellation of cultural entertainment events

On 27 October 2026, the Kobryn District Executive Committee in the Brest Region circulated a letter to the heads of cultural and entertainment establishments calling on them to refrain from celebrating Halloween and using Halloween-themed decorations and accessories, including pumpkins, cobwebs, masks on doors and themed clothing.

The letter also recommends removing all advertising for Halloween-themed events at these establishments from social media and promotional posters.

III. Designation of social media accounts belonging to authors and cultural figures as “extremist information products”

1. On 15 October, the Babrujsk District and City Court designated the Instagram page ‘Siarhiej Budkin’, belonging to cultural figure Siarhiej Budkin, as “an extremist information product”.

2. On 15 October, the Leninski District Court of Mahiloŭ designated the YouTube channel ‘Jaŭhien Hłuškoŭ’, belonging to former political prisoner, cinematographer and cultural journalist Jaŭhien Hłuškoŭ, as “an extremist information product”. 

3. On 21 October, the Horki District Court in the Mahiloŭ Region designated the Instagram page ‘denis_doudinski’ and the Threads account ‘denis_doudinski’, belonging to entertainer and writer Dziаnis Dudzinski, as “extremist information products”.

4. On 26 October, the Leninski District Court of Brest designated the Facebook page ‘Mikita Slepianok’, belonging to former political prisoner Mikita Slepiаnok, as “extremist information products”.

In 2022, following Slepiаnok’s detention, the Telegram channel ‘Rezystans’, which he administered and which covered Belarusian history and culture, was designated an “extremist formation”.

5. On 27 October, the Leninski District Court of Brest designated the Facebook page ‘Enrique de Salvaje’, belonging to actor and promoter of Belarusian culture Vasil Kałač, as “an extremist information product”.

6. On 28 October, the Leninski District Court of Brest designated the Facebook page of photographer and cultural manager Julija Daraškievič as “an extremist information product”.

IV. Designation of social media accounts belonging to cultural initiatives and media outlets as “extremist information products”

1. On 16 October, the Ašmiany District Court in the Hrodna Region designated the Instagram page ‘lutskevich_museum’, belonging to the Ivan Łuckievič Belarusian Museum in Vilnius, as “extremist information products”.

2. On 16 October 2026, the Ašmiany District Court in the Hrodna Region designated the Instagram page ‘bielaruskidom’, belonging to Belarusian House, as “extremist information products”.

Belarusian House is an organisation that supports Belarusians in exile, promotes human rights and democratic values, and implements cultural and educational projects.

3. On 22 October 2026, the Babrujsk District and City Court designated the Instagram page of Belarusian Radio Racyja (account @racyja) as “extremist information products”.

Belarusian Radio Racyja is an independent media outlet covering news from the Białystok region and Belarus, with a strong focus on culture and literature.

On 16 January 2024, the KGB designated Belarusian Radio Racyja an ‘extremist formation’.

4. On 27 October, the Leninski District Court of Brest designated the Facebook page of the ‘Bulba HaЎse’ creative space as “extremist information products”.

V. Closure and reduction in publication frequency of official Belarusian-language literary periodicals

1. On 22 October, it emerged that the state-run newspaper Litaratura i Mastactva (LiM) (Literature and Art) would cease to exist as a print publication and become a supplement to the newspaper ‘Zviazda’.

This became apparent from Belposhta’s new subscription catalogue, in which LiM is no longer available as a separate subscription.

The newspaper Litaratura i Mastactva was founded in 1932.

2. On 22 October, Belposhta’s new subscription catalogue revealed that the state literary and arts magazines Połymia, Maładosć and Nioman would reduce their publication frequency from monthly (12 issues per year) to two issues every six months.

Disclaimer: Belarusian personal names and proper names

Personal names

Personal names and surnames in this text are rendered using the traditional Belarusian Latin alphabet Łacinka. We also provide their equivalents according to the current Instruction on the Transliteration of Surnames and Given Names of Citizens of the Republic of Belarus. Where direct access to official identity documents is unavailable, the transliterated forms of names may differ from the spellings used in official passport records.

Toponyms

Geographical names in this text are rendered using the traditional Belarusian Latin alphabet Łacinka. We also provide their equivalents according to the current Instruction on Rendering the Names of Geographical Features from Belarusian and Russian into Other Languages and on Transliteration of the Names of Geographical Features into the Latin Alphabet.

Proper names of organisations, projects, etc. 

The names of Belarusian organisations, projects and similar entities in this text are rendered using the traditional Belarusian Latin alphabet Łacinka.