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Persecution, Convictions, Censorship, Cultural Policy<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Nadzieja <\/b>and<\/span> U\u0142adzimir Ka\u0142a\u010d<\/b>, leaders of the<\/span> Irdorath<\/span><\/i> band, were sentenced to 2 years in prison for participating in peaceful protest marches by judge Alaksandr Jakun\u010dychin, the state prosecutor \u2013 Volha Jemieljan\u010danka. Nadzieja and U\u0142adzimir were accused of \u201corganizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order and training or other training of persons to participate in such actions, as well as financing or other material support of such activities\u201d. Three other musicians from\u00a0 <\/span>Irdorath<\/span><\/i>, detained on August 2 \u2014 <\/span>Piotr <\/b>and <\/span>Julija Mar\u010danka<\/b> and <\/span>Anton \u0160nip<\/b> \u2014 remain in jail awaiting their trial.<\/span><\/p>\n Andrej Pa\u0142upana\u016d<\/b>, founder of the Minsk film school-studio, had his home searched on December 16.<\/span><\/p>\n On the morning of December 16, <\/span>Halina Ciaren\u0107jeva<\/b>, a teacher of solfeggio and music literature at the local Children’s School of Arts, was detained at work in Masty, Belarus. According to Halina herself, she was detained for a \u201cpicture on Facebook\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n On December 15, 2D artist <\/span>Halina Siemie\u010dka<\/b> was detained. In the \u201crepentant video\u201d Halina \u201cconfessed\u201d she followed \u201cextremist\u201d telegram channels, participated in protests and blocked roads in August 2020. According to Telegram channels her husband was detained as well.<\/span><\/p>\n Pavie\u0142 Bie\u0142avus<\/b>, manager of the cultural space and souvenir shop <\/span>Symbal.by<\/span><\/i>, was not released after the second term behind bars. On December 17, he was sentenced to another 7 days of imprisonment under the \u201cpetty hooliganism\u201d article. Pavie\u0142 has already spent more than a month behind bars.<\/span><\/p>\n Pavie\u0142 \u0141atu\u0161ka<\/b>, a politician and former Minister of Culture, as well as the head of the Janka Kupa\u0142a National Academic Theater, who had to leave Belarus, is facing another criminal case for \u201cExcess of power or official authority\u201d and \u201clarge scale\u201d damage to the state. In 2012, \u0141atu\u0161ka <\/span>(<\/b>Minister of Culture at the time) instructed to include \u201ca number of anticipatorily non-demanded film projects\u201d in the thematic plan for the film production that was funded by state budget. This includes the film<\/span> In the Fog <\/span><\/i>by Siarhiej \u0141a\u017anica, based on the story of the outstanding Belarusian writer Vasil Byka\u016d.<\/span><\/p>\n According to media, <\/span>Alaksandr Bahdana\u016d<\/b> (Papa Bo)<\/b>, art manager and DJ, and <\/span>Maksim Kruk<\/b>, set designer, were sentenced by judge Maryna Klim\u010duk to 3 years in open air prison <\/span>on December 17<\/span>. They were detained on September 2 after a search and charged with \u201cparticipating in actions that grossly violate public order\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n According to the index of the <\/span>Belarusian Helsinki Committee<\/b>, the <\/span>assessment<\/span><\/a> of the right of Belarusians to participate in cultural life is 2.8 out of 10. The assessment has the following components:<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u2043 Participation in cultural life – 2.7;<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u2043 Access to cultural life – 3.5;<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u2043 Possibility to contribute to cultural life – 2.3;<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u2043 Protection of cultural diversity – 2.6.<\/span> Experts of PEN Belarus participated in assessing the state of the Belarusians’ right to take part in cultural life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Life of the Imprisoned People<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Ihar Bancer<\/b>, a political prisoner and musician\u2019s solitary confinement was supposed to end on December 15 and he was to be released on December 17. However, on December 16 it became known that his punishment by solitary confinement was extended until the day of his release. People who served their time in open air prison together with the musician believe that the reason could be that Bancer\u2019s solitary confinement was in a detention center 30 kilometers from the open air prison. If the musician had been released from solitary confinement, he would not have been considered a prisoner and would have had to get to open air prison for his things on his own. On December 17, Ihar was released.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>The administration of the Mahilo\u016d prison pressures <\/span>Mika\u0142aj Dziadok<\/b>, a political prisoner, activist and writer, by filing reports for <\/span>\u201cviolations\u201d<\/span> he did not commit. Mika\u0142aj is also denied medical care.<\/span><\/p>\n Andrej Piatro\u016dski<\/b>, a political prisoner and teacher of history and social studies, sent a <\/span>list of books<\/span><\/a> he considers noteworthy from behind bars: the list includes U\u0142adzimir Karatkievi\u010d, U\u0142adzimir Ar\u0142o\u016d, Leanid Dajnieka, Franci\u0161ak Alachnovi\u010d and others.<\/span><\/p>\n Dissent and Cultural Activism <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Belarusians <\/span>Iryna Pa\u016d\u0142ovi\u010d <\/b>and <\/span>Anto\u015b Sivych <\/b>have <\/span>moved<\/span><\/a> to \u0141\u00f3d\u017a, Poland and made a film <\/span>Through the Rails<\/span><\/i> about Belarusian students who experienced the same road from Belarus to Poland.<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>Belarus Free Theater <\/b>led by <\/span>Mika\u0142aj Chalezin <\/b>and<\/span> Natalla Kalada<\/b> has moved to Poland, where it will continue its work.<\/span><\/p>\n Ta\u0107ciana Vada\u0142a\u017eskaja<\/b>, coordinator of the <\/span>Flying University\u2019s <\/span><\/i>programs, and <\/span>Maryja Martysievi\u010d<\/b>, translator, poet, essayist, literary critic <\/span>and former member of PEN board<\/span>, discussed the results of the literary year in the <\/span>What was it?<\/span><\/i> Show<\/span>: the explosion of creativity in 2020-21, the phenomenon of prison art and the work of the repressed, as well as the world’s interest in the Belarusian culture.<\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dZ4KAKoZU4o<\/p>\n Lavon Volski and Marharyta La\u016d\u010duk<\/b> presented an animated video for the song <\/span>Pa\u0142on<\/i><\/b><\/a> (Belarusian for \u201ccaptivity\u201d). The song was recorded a few years ago and is dedicated to political prisoners. Lyrics by <\/span>Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161uk<\/b>, animation by <\/span>Marharyta Cichanovi\u010d<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1-kalach.jpg\")
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