{"id":21951,"date":"2026-03-16T13:52:04","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T13:52:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/?p=21951"},"modified":"2026-04-02T08:54:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T08:54:10","slug":"hronika-parushennyau-pravou-chalaveka-u-sfery-kultury-1-15-sakavika-2026-goda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/2026\/03\/16\/hronika-parushennyau-pravou-chalaveka-u-sfery-kultury-1-15-sakavika-2026-goda.html","title":{"rendered":"Chronicle of human rights violations in the sphere of culture (1-15 March 2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

To report a violation (including confidentially) or to correct data presented in the report, please contact us at\u00a0dapamoha@penbelarus.org\u00a0or t.me\/viadoma.<\/em><\/p>\n

As of 15 March 2026, at least 148 cultural figures \u2014 including no fewer than 32 writers \u2014 were either imprisoned or under home confinement. The total number of banned books stood at 330.<\/b><\/p>\n

Musician and researcher <\/span>Aleh Chamienka<\/b> was sentenced to three years\u2019 imprisonment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Non-fiction author <\/span>Cina Pa\u0142ynskaja<\/b> and her daughter <\/span>Marho Rabinovi\u010d<\/b> were sentenced to two years in prison.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Prosecutor General\u2019s Office opened a criminal case against poet, performer and historical costume reconstructor <\/span>Kaciaryna Vadanosava<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The KGB designated <\/span>PEN Belarus<\/b> an \u201cextremist formation\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

The KGB also declared a non-existent \u201ccoalition of publishing houses\u201d an \u201cextremist formation\u201d, arbitrarily including unrelated publishing houses and book distributors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Former political prisoner and documentary filmmaker <\/span>\u0141arysa \u0160\u010dyrakova<\/b> reported that texts she had written in prison were confiscated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Former political prisoner and former editor-in-chief of the TUT.BY portal <\/span>Maryna Zo\u0142atava<\/b> reported that texts she had written in prison were confiscated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Writer and public figure <\/span>Pavie\u0142 Sieviaryniec<\/b> spoke about torture involving the use of music when in prison.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
I. Criminal prosecution of cultural figures, authors, and performers<\/b><\/h5>\n

1.<\/strong> On 4 March, the Minsk City Court sentenced musician and researcher <\/span>Aleh Chamienka<\/b> under Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code (\u201cfacilitating extremist activity\u201d) to three years in a minimum-security penal colony and a fine of more than BYN 20,000 (USD 6,870).<\/span><\/p>\n

Aleh Chamienka was accused of cooperation with the editorial team of <\/span>Belarusian Radio Racyja<\/i><\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aleh Chamienka is the leader of the folk-modern band Pa\u0142ac(founded in 1992), a lecturer, researcher of Belarusian folklore, composer, author of texts on cultural studies, and radio host. He was detained in Minsk on 25 June 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> On 6 March, the outcome of the politically motivated trial of non-fiction author <\/span>Cina Pa\u0142ynskaja<\/b> and her daughter <\/span>Marho Rabinovi\u010d<\/b>, a student of the Faculty of History, became known. The trial began on 6 January 2026 and concluded with a sentence of two years in a minimum-security penal colony under Part 3 of Article 361-1 (\u201cparticipation in an extremist formation for the purpose of committing an extremist crime\u201d). Both were convicted for participating in the activities of the Belarusian Analytical Workroom, which the KGB declared an \u201cextremist organisation\u201d on 16 May 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

3.<\/strong> On 11 March, it became known that the Prosecutor General\u2019s Office had opened a criminal case against poet, performer and historical costume reconstructor <\/span>Kaciaryna Vadanosava<\/b> for an \u201cauthor\u2019s interpretation of historical events of World War II on YouTube\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

A criminal case was initiated against her under Part 3 of Article 130-1 of the Criminal Code (\u201crehabilitation of Nazism\u201d) for educational historical video lectures on the YouTube channel <\/span>Bud\u017ama Bie\u0142arusami!<\/i><\/b>.<\/b><\/p>\n

The grounds for the criminal prosecution were the video lecture \u201cThe Main Myth of World War II \u2013 the Assassination of Gauleiter Wilhelm Kube. What is Wrong?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The case has been transferred for investigation to the Central Office of the Investigative Committee of Belarus.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kaciaryna Vadanosava is currently outside Belarus and rejects the charges brought by the prosecution. She wrote, <\/span>\u201cThere was no rehabilitation of Nazism whatsoever. This is a course of educational lectures. At Bud\u017ama, we try to approach any historical topic comprehensively and as objectively as possible. And I did not glorify Wilhelm Kube.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

II. Confiscation of manuscripts in places of incarceration<\/b><\/h5>\n

1.<\/strong> On 3 March, Belarusian language and history populariser, documentary filmmaker and former political prisoner <\/span>\u0141arysa \u0160\u010dyrakova<\/b> reported that texts she had written in prison had been confiscated. She said, <\/span>\u201cMy manuscript from did not leave Detention Centre No. 3.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> On 5 March, a former political prisoner and former editor-in-chief of the TUT.BY portal <\/span>Maryna Zo\u0142atava<\/b> reported that texts she had written in prison had been confiscated. She wrote, <\/span>\u201cBefore my release, my belongings were mixed with those of others, and I was left without a single writing instrument. That means no letters, no notebooks, no notes, no documents such as the verdict. The most painful thing is that among all those papers, the notes I took during the court hearings have disappeared.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

III. Tortures in places of incarceration<\/b><\/h5>\n

Writer and public figure <\/span>Pavie\u0142 Sieviaryniec<\/b> spoke about torture in prison involving the use of music:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the most memorable things in the \u0160k\u0142o\u016d punishment cell was the \u2018disco\u2019. While music plays in the corridor of the isolation ward, you must stand in a \u2018stretch position\u2019 next to the bunk fixed to the wall. Usually, the music is turned on when inspections begin \u2014 which means you stand with your arms twisted behind your back and legs spread apart while the duty assistant to the head of the colony goes through all 23 punishment cells and listens to prisoners\u2019 reports. Sometimes it lasts half an hour, sometimes an hour.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

IV. Designation of publishing houses as \u201cextremist formations\u201d<\/b><\/h5>\n

On 3 March, the KGB declared a non-existent \u201ccoalition of publishing houses\u201d an \u201cextremist formation\u201d. KGB agents included the following unrelated publishing houses and book distributors that publish in Belarusian in this alleged coalition: <\/span>Kamunikat.org, Lohvinau Publishing House<\/b>, and <\/span>Andrei Yanushkevich Publishing<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In connection with this \u201cformation\u201d, the list mentions publishers detained in Belarus on 17 February \u2014 <\/span>Zmicier Ko\u0142as<\/b>, <\/span>Vac\u0142a\u016d Bahdanovi\u010d<\/b>, and <\/span>Ale\u015b Ja\u016ddacha<\/b> \u2014 as well as <\/span>Jaros\u0142aw Iwaniuk<\/b>, <\/span>Ihar \u0141ohvina\u016d<\/b>, and <\/span>Andrej Janu\u0161kievi\u010d<\/b>, who are currently abroad.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to human rights defenders, at least ten people were detained in Minsk on 17 February in connection with the publishers\u2019 case.<\/span><\/p>\n

V. Designation of authors and performers\u2019 social media as \u201cextremist\u201d<\/b><\/h5>\n

On 6 March, it became known that the Ministry of Information added the Facebook page of public figure, writer and former political prisoner <\/span>Pavie\u0142 Sieviaryniec<\/b> to the list of \u201cextremist materials\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

VI. Designation of cultural organisations as \u201cextremist\u201d<\/b><\/h5>\n

On 4 March, it became known that on 27 February, the KGB declared <\/span>PEN Belarus<\/b> an \u201cextremist formation\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Founded in 1989, PEN Belarus defends cultural rights and is one of the oldest Belarusian human rights organisations.<\/span><\/p>\n

VII. Banned books<\/b><\/h5>\n

On 6 March 2026, by decision of the Partizansky District Court of Minsk, a new book was added to the<\/span> list of \u201cextremist materials\u201d<\/b><\/a>, <\/b>Diaries of an NKVD Officer: A Documentary Exposure of Stalinism<\/i><\/b>.<\/b><\/p>\n

Based on manuscripts of former NKVD officer<\/span> Iosif Jat\u010denia, <\/b>the book describes his life, how he became a \u2018Chekist\u2019 and later ended up among the \u201cenemies of the people\u201d, and gives a detailed account of NKVD methods and torture used in the \u201cAmerikanka\u201d prison. The book also includes materials from Iosif Jat\u010denia\u2019s criminal case from the Central Archive of the KGB of Belarus.<\/span><\/p>\n

VIII. Repression against Belarusian writers in exile<\/b><\/h5>\n

On 6 March, it became known that the confiscated summer house of writer, journalist and human rights defender <\/span>U\u0142adzimir Chilmanovi\u010d<\/b> had been put up for sale in Belarus. U\u0142adzimir Chilmanovi\u010d has not lived in Belarus since 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To report a violation (including confidentially) or to correct data presented in the report, please contact us at\u00a0dapamoha@penbelarus.org\u00a0or t.me\/viadoma. As of 15 March 2026, at least 148 cultural figures \u2014 including no fewer than 32 writers \u2014 were either imprisoned or under home confinement. The total number of banned books stood at 330. Musician and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":21986,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4255],"tags":[4291,4285],"class_list":["post-21951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cultural-right","tag-chronicle","tag-hronika"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21951"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21988,"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21951\/revisions\/21988"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}