“Belarusian Cultural and National Identity Is Increasingly Viewed as a Sign of Political Opposition”: Monitoring Report on Cultural Rights Violations in Belarus Published

The Belarusian PEN has published its monitoring report on violations of cultural rights during the first half of 2026.

The analytical report describes the state of Belarusian culture from January through June.

The most common form of repression during the period was the designation of cultural materials and the social media accounts of cultural figures as “extremist materials” (224 cases). The second most common was censorship (102 cases, including 33 entries added to the list of printed publications banned from distribution in Belarus). Third was the designation of cultural figures as members of “extremist formations” (59 cases).

During the reporting period, several political prisoners, including cultural figures, were released. On March 19, 250 people were pardoned, among them 22 representatives of the cultural sector. Eighteen remained in Belarus, while four were forcibly expelled.

On April 28, journalist, poet and member of the Union of Poles in Belarus Andrzej Poczobut was released after more than five years of sustained efforts by the Polish side to secure his freedom. However, these developments did not lead to any broader improvement in the overall situation in the country or in the cultural sphere.

Among the main developments of the second quarter were:

• continued pressure on cultural figures in places of detention, including stricter detention conditions for cultural manager Eduard Babaryka; new cases of pressure against journalist and writer Ihar Ilyash and prison literature author Ihar Alinevich; the continued incommunicado detention of animator Ivan Viarbitski; and the serious deterioration in the health of cultural scholar Vatslau Areshka and musician Yauhen Burlo;
• a new wave of searches and detentions targeting people associated with cultural and civic organizations in various cities across Belarus;
• new criminal convictions of cultural figures, including prison sentences for Viktar Yaumenenka, head of the Vaclau Lastouski Society of History Enthusiasts, and drummer Tsimafei Puhachou, as well as a new trial of Yahor Tsiushkevich, an employee of the Brest Puppet Theatre;
• administrative prosecution of musician Aliaksei Khliastou and photographer Andrei Liankevich;
• the cancellation of the traditional culture festival “Festival of the Sun” and continued administrative prosecution of participants in cultural and ethnographic events, including the Calling of Spring celebration in Homiel;
• the opening of a criminal case in Belarus against participants in celebrations of Freedom Day, the unofficial Belarusian national holiday, held in Warsaw, Vilnius and other cities. More than 30 searches were conducted at the registered addresses of participants in Belarus as part of the investigation;
• the designation of the European Humanities University, which has operated in Lithuania since 2004, as an “extremist organization,” followed by the continued persecution of more than 60 students and faculty members;
• the designation as “extremist formations” of the Belarusian Council for Culture (again), the Znivien brand, The Krama Store online shop, LVS Language School and the satirical project ChinChinChenel;
• the launch of special proceedings against musicians Siarhei Mikhalok and Katsiaryna Mankevich;
• a large-scale cyberattack on the Belarusian online library Kamunikat.org;
• the continued expansion of the Republican List of Extremist Materials, which now includes the pages of artist Ales Pushkin, who died in custody, the Brest theatre Kryly Khalopa, several Belarusian publishing houses, literary works and even the page of the now pro-government Belarusian Union of Designers.

The period also saw changes in the leadership of Belarus’ state cultural sector. Former Information Minister Marat Markau was appointed culture minister, replacing Ruslan Charnetski.

State policy in the cultural sphere continues to be characterized by a lack of transparency and openness toward independent cultural initiatives, the marginalization of dissenting voices, tighter administrative control and further regulation of professional activities in the cultural sector. These measures include restrictions affecting performers, organizers of cultural and entertainment events, tour guides and interpreter-guides, karaoke clubs, rural guesthouses and other providers of cultural services.

On June 29, 2026, at the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, Nils Muižnieks, presented his second report. A significant part of it focuses on developments in the cultural sphere. The report states that repression in Belarus “includes the systematic restructuring of the cultural space, the education system, language use and historical narratives. Belarusian cultural and national identity, as well as linguistic affiliation, are increasingly viewed as signs of political opposition.”

The full report is available on the Belarusian PEN website.