{"id":22262,"date":"2026-04-16T07:32:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T07:32:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/?p=22262"},"modified":"2026-04-17T14:37:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T14:37:19","slug":"hronika-parushennyau-pravou-chalaveka-u-sfery-kultury-1-15-krasavika-2026-goda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/2026\/04\/16\/hronika-parushennyau-pravou-chalaveka-u-sfery-kultury-1-15-krasavika-2026-goda.html","title":{"rendered":"Chronicle of human rights violations in the sphere of culture (1-15 April 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 April 2026, at least 128 cultural figures, including at least 26 writers, were either imprisoned or under home confinement. The number of banned books climbed to 336.<\/b><\/p>\n

Jeweller<\/span> Jahor Bu\u017ey\u0142a\u016d <\/b>was sentenced to 4 years of restricted freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n

Designer <\/span>Jana Maskalova <\/b>was sentenced to home confinement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Photographer<\/span> Andrej Lankievi\u010d <\/b>was detained at the Belarus\u2013Poland border.<\/span><\/p>\n

Employees of the architectural company<\/span> ZROBIM architects <\/b>were detained.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Belarusian Helsinki Committee <\/b>was designated an \u201cextremist formation\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Supreme Court classified the<\/span> European Humanities University <\/b>as an \u201cextremist organisation\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

A court in Minsk declared the website and Instagram page of the bookstore<\/span> Knihi.by <\/b>\u201cextremist materials\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Four new books were added to the list of \u201cextremist materials\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The feature film<\/span> \u017dyvie Bie\u0142aru\u015b <\/b>(2012) was declared \u201cextremist.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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

<\/b>1.<\/strong> On 1 April, it became known that<\/span> Jahor Bu\u017ey\u0142a\u016d, <\/b>production director of the Belarusian jewellery brand<\/span> Belaruskicry<\/i><\/b>, <\/b>was sentenced to 4 years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility under Article 361-1 of the Criminal Code (creating or participating in an extremist formation). The verdict was issued on 19 March 2026.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bu\u017ey\u0142a\u016d studied jewellery-making and produced his own pieces. The Investigative Committee said that other members of the brand had been placed on a wanted list and that their cases had been split into separate proceedings. On 23 July 2025, the Partizanski District Court declared the brand\u2019s website and social media pages (Instagram, Telegram, Facebook, TikTok and X) \u201cextremist materials\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/b>2.<\/strong> On 7 April, it became known that the Brest Regional Court sentenced designer<\/span> Jana Maskalova <\/b>under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 361-4 of the Criminal Code (facilitating extremist activity) to restricted freedom in home confinement. Maskalova graduated from the Pinsk State College of Arts with a degree in Design and Typography and worked as a designer and illustrator.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

II. Detentions of cultural figures\u00a0<\/b><\/h5>\n

<\/b>1.<\/strong> On 3 April, it became known that photographer<\/span> Andrej Lankievi\u010d <\/b>was detained at the<\/span> Belarus\u2013Poland border over subscriptions to independent media found on his phone. Lankievi\u010d has held more than 80 solo and group exhibitions in Europe, Asia, and the United States. His works are held in private collections in Austria, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, and Lithuania.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/b>2.<\/strong> On 9 April, nearly 50 employees of the architectural company<\/span> ZROBIM architects <\/b>were detained at their office in Minsk. Most of those detained were later released; however, the company\u2019s founder,<\/span> Andrej Mako\u016dski (Andru\u015b Bezdar), <\/b>remained in custody.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ZROBIM architects is a Belarusian architectural studio founded in 2011 by Andrej Mako\u016dski and Alaksiej Karablo\u016d. Known for its contemporary architecture and design projects, it operates both in Belarus and abroad.<\/span><\/p>\n

III. Designation of human rights, educational and cultural organisations as \u201cextremist\u201d<\/b><\/h5>\n

1<\/b>. On 1 April, it became known that on 31 March, the KGB designated the human rights organisation<\/span> Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC) <\/b>an \u201cextremist formation\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

The organisation was registered on 1 November 1995. Its founders included prominent Belarusian public and cultural figures such as writer<\/span> Vasil Byka\u016d <\/b>(the first chair of the supervisory council), poet<\/span> Ryhor Baradulin<\/b>, writer<\/span> Sviat\u0142ana Aleksijevi\u010d, <\/b>poet<\/span> Hienad\u017a Bura\u016dkin, <\/b>and translator and PEN Belarus founder<\/span> Carlos Sherman.<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/b>2.<\/strong> On 14 April, the Supreme Court, following a request from the Prosecutor General\u2019s Office, declared<\/span> the<\/span> European Humanities University (EHU) <\/b>an \u201cextremist organisation\u201d. The ruling<\/span> follows the August 2025 designation of the university\u2019s social media accounts as \u201cextremist materials\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the prosecution, the university \u201cconducts targeted activities aimed at destabilising the socio-political situation in the country\u201d and is allegedly \u201cused by intelligence services of certain neighbouring states to harm Belarus\u2019s interests in political, humanitarian and information spheres.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The university has approximately 1,500 students and around 100 academic staff. EHU was founded in Minsk in 1992, closed by the Belarus authorities in 2002, and resumed operations in Lithuania in 2004.<\/span><\/p>\n

IV. Repression in the publishing sector<\/b><\/h5>\n

<\/b>1.<\/strong> On 2 April, Minsk\u2019s Partyzanski District Court declared the website and Instagram page of the bookstore<\/span> knihi.by <\/b>as \u201cextremist materials\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/b>2.<\/strong> On 6 April, the Ministry of Information suspended the distribution activities of the publishing house<\/span> Technalohija<\/i><\/b>. <\/b>According to the Ministry, the organisation \u201cfailed to submit updated registration information required for inclusion in the State Register of publishers, producers, and distributors of printed materials, approved by the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The publishing house still holds its printing licence. <\/span>Technalohija<\/span><\/i>, founded in 1988, was the first private publishing house in Belarus and specialises in popular science, reference, children\u2019s, and souvenir books.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

On 2 April 2026, the Kastry\u010dnicki District Court of Minsk added four new books to the list of \u201cextremist materials\u201d:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Makar, <\/b>Apo\u0161niaje pakalenne<\/i><\/b> (Last Generation)<\/b><\/li>\n
  • Kamila Cie\u0144, <\/b>Nastupny prypynak \u2014 \u015bmier\u0107<\/i><\/b> (Next Stop is Death)<\/b><\/li>\n
  • Maks \u0160\u010dur, <\/b>Tam, dzie nas niama<\/i><\/b> (Where We Do Not Exist)<\/b><\/li>\n
  • Alaksandr Cvikievi\u010d, <\/b>Histary\u010dnyja pracy. Tom 1<\/i><\/b> (Historic Works. Volume 1)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Works by Belarusian political figure and head of the government of the Belarusian People\u2019s Republic, Alaksandr Cvikievi\u010d, were once banned during the Soviet period. In June 1937, an order was issued to burn all his books, and in December of the same year, he was executed.<\/span><\/p>\n

    More information on banned books in Belarus is available at: bannedbooks.penbelarus.org.<\/span><\/p>\n

    VI. Designation of cultural organisations\u2019 social media as \u201cextremist\u201d<\/b><\/h5>\n

    On 10 April, the Instagram page<\/span> americancenterminsk<\/b>, dedicated to US culture and English language learning, was declared \u201cextremist,\u201d according to the updated list published by the Ministry of Information.<\/span><\/p>\n

    VII. Designation of works of art as \u201cextremist\u201d<\/b><\/h5>\n

    On 14 April, the Homiel District Court ruled to declare the feature film<\/span> \u201c\u017dyvie Bie\u0142aru\u015b\u201d <\/b>(2012)<\/span> \u201cextremist\u201d.<\/span> Directed by <\/span>Krzysztof \u0141ukaszewicz<\/b>, the movie is based on Franak Via\u010dorka\u2019s experience in the Belarusian army.<\/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 April 2026, at least 128 cultural figures, including at least 26 writers, were either imprisoned or under home confinement. The number of banned books climbed to 336. Jeweller Jahor Bu\u017ey\u0142a\u016d was sentenced to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":22272,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4255],"tags":[4291,4285],"class_list":["post-22262","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\/22262","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=22262"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22273,"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22262\/revisions\/22273"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}