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Belarus

Belarus

Free expression in Belarus has been steadily deteriorating in recent years. Following the illegitimate 2020 election, which sparked international condemnation and widespread protests, threats against writers, artists, and other dissenting voices have increased. Political prisoners have been subject to ill-treatment, including incommunicado detention and torture. The Belarusian government has targeted writers already living in exile. Authorities have also targeted family members of exiled writers, who have been subjected to arbitrary searches, detentions, and other forms of harassment.

Belarusian opposition supporters activate the lights on their phones and wave old Belarusian national flags during a protest rally in front of the government building at Independent Square in Minsk, Belarus, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. The authoritarian leader of Belarus complained that encouragement from abroad has fueled daily protests demanding his resignation as European Union leaders held an emergency summit Wednesday on the country’s contested presidential election and fierce crackdown on demonstrators.
AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky

What You Need to Know

According to PEN Belarus, as of December 31, 2023, there were at least 1,499 cultural rights violations and human rights violations against cultural figures in Belarus.

The suppression of dissenting speech—by means of arrest, judicial harassment, and exile—has resulted in the imprisonment of writers critical of the Belarusian and Russian government.

While Belarusian is one of the official languages of the country, Belarusian speakers experience discrimination in sectors including publishing and higher education. 

News

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Individual Cases

  • A man with short white hair and a beard speaks into a microphone. He is wearing a dark blazer over a striped shirt, standing in front of an abstract black and white artwork featuring faces and hearts.

    Ales Bialacki

    Status:

    Bialacki is a writer, literary critic, and head of human rights group Viasna. In July 2021, he was arrested on… More

  • An older man with white hair and a full white beard is looking directly at the camera. He is wearing glasses and a white collared shirt. The background is out of focus.

    Uladzimir Matskevich

    Status:

    Matskevich is a philosopher who was arrested in a home raid on August 4, 2021 and detained in restrictive conditions,… More

  • A woman with straight, light brown hair and fair skin is wearing a patterned brown jacket and light pink top, posing in front of a white background with red and gold circular text.

    Svetlana Alexievich

    Status:

    Alexievich, a renowned writer, essayist, and the first-ever Nobel Prize laureate from Belarus, has faced significant persecution due to her… More

  • A woman with short, light brown hair and brown eyes looks directly at the camera. She is wearing light makeup and a blue and white patterned scarf, with a soft background indoors.

    Valeria Kostyugova

    Status:

    Political analyst and writer Kostyugova is editor of the online community Our Opinion and its annual publication Belarusian Yearbook. In… More

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