The independent publishing house Sviedki has released the book “The Viktar Babaryka Case. A Chronicle of Political Persecution in Facts and Documents.” Belarusian poet and editor Sabina Brylo worked on the Russian-language publication for more than two years.
“It was difficult, but it could not have been easy. And let me tell you, it will not get easier,” the author wrote on social media announcing the book’s release.
Sabina Brylo’s book is presented as “a chronicle of the malicious persecution of Viktar Babaryka unfolding against the backdrop of the systematic destruction of freedom of speech in Belarus.”
“Day by day, the author reconstructs the drama from the moment Babaryka decided to participate in the 2020 presidential campaign up to the next elections in January 2025. The content of the book — essentially a historical reconstruction — is based on open sources, the author’s interviews, archives, materials from human rights organizations, and unique documents provided by the lawyers of the main protagonist,” the annotation says.
Among the open sources used in the book are information from state and independent media, social networks, monitoring results, as well as surveys and interviews conducted specifically for the publication. The key documents are materials from court hearings provided to the author by Viktar Babaryka’s lawyers.
“One could say that before you is a conscientiously prepared historical document. Or more precisely — a drama written by History itself. There are no invented dialogues, monologues, or lines here. All the characters in this drama speak in their own language. The author merely brought them onto the stage and worked on the lighting,” the foreword to “The Viktar Babaryka Case” states.
The presentation of the book will take place on May 31 during the International Book Fair in Warsaw.
The chronicle can be purchased here. A Belarusian-language edition is planned for September, but pre-orders are already available.
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