Belarus’ Ministry of Information has updated the “Republican List of Extremist Materials.” Among other additions, it included the Facebook account of artist Ales Pushkin, who died in a prison hospital nearly three years ago. The corresponding decision was issued on May 4, 2026, by the Hlusk District Court of the Mahiliou region.
The updated list also includes:
- the Threads page “Anatol Liabedzka”;
- the Facebook pages: “Aleś Łahviniec”, “Zahadki Belaruskai Historyi”, “Belarusy Ukrainy”, “Dzmitry Busel”, “Aleh Shabetnik”;
- the Instagram account “thisisyouth.info”.
It should be recalled that in Belarus, extremism-related accusations are used by the authorities in the fight against Lukashenka’s opponents and dissent in general.
Political prisoner Ales Pushkin died in a hospital in Hrodna on July 11, 2023. He was brought there from Prison No. 1 unconscious, suffering from a perforated ulcer, peritonitis, and multiple organ failure. The artist was buried in the village of Bobr.
In March 2022, Ales Pushkin was sentenced to five years in a maximum-security penal colony under Part 3 of Article 130 of the Criminal Code (“Incitement of racial, national, religious, or other social hatred or discord”) and Article 370 (“Desecration of state symbols”). He was sent to serve his sentence at the “Wolf Holes” penal colony in Ivatsevichy. In November 2022, his detention regime was tightened and he was transferred to Prison No. 1 in Hrodna.
