PEN Belarus prepared these recommendations
With the assistance of:
International Union of Belarusian Writers
Civic Cultural Campaign “Budzma Belarusami”
Introduction
This document was compiled based on the annual reports of PEN Belarus on violations in the field of culture in Belarus, the monitoring reports on violations of language rights in Belarus by the International Union of Belarusian Writers and other open research and expert materials published by independent think tanks and public organizations.
We recognize Belarusian cultural figures as cultural rights defenders based on a) the situation in the cultural sphere of Belarus, the role of cultural figures in the country; b) the report of the Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights on cultural rights defenders A/HRC/43/50
Supported by
Cultural organisations:
Telegram channel Holy Belawood (Тэлеграм-канал “Свяшчэнны Белавуд”)
Art Corporation MTÜ
Tutejšy Teatr
Free Belarus Center
Hodna (Годна)
Charity Touring Music Movement Belarus Outside Sound System
Tutaka Foundation (Fundacja Tutaka)
Chabor Association (таварыства “Чабор”)
Free Belarus Museum (Музей Вольнай Беларусі)
Belarusian Community RAZAM e.V.
Belarusian Counsil for Culture (Беларуская Рада культуры)
“Belarusian Prison Literature” publishing initiative of Human Rights Center “Viasna” (Выдавецкая ініцыятыва ПЦ «Вясна» «Беларуская турэмная літаратура»)
Recommendations are also signed by 1 organization non-publicly.
International organisations:
PEN America
PEN International
PEN Flanders Belgium
Belarus
- Immediately stop torture, including incommunicado practices in relation to cultural figures and other individuals.
- Immediately release all politically imprisoned cultural figures.
- Immediately stop the practice of political persecution of cultural figures and workers for the legitimate exercise of human rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression and freedom of creativity.
- Take the necessary legislative, administrative and judicial measures to ensure safe conditions for implementing creative activities and cultural projects, and also to preserve and develop Belarusian culture in Belarus.
- Provide effective remedies and rehabilitation for all victims of freedom of expression violations.
- Stop the discriminatory practices of persecuting cultural figures in exile, including criminal prosecution in absentia, and repeal the discriminatory Decree No. 278, which unreasonably restricts the rights of cultural figures in exile to obtaining necessary documents (in particular, citizens’ passports) from Belarusian consular services.
- Stop the practice of defamation against cultural figures and workers.
- Stop using culture to ideologically serve the interests of authorities, justify Russian aggression in Ukraine and other purposes of propaganda and disinformation.
Other countries
- Continue to put pressure on the Belarusian authorities to immediately stop torture, release politically imprisoned, including, cultural figures, and stop the practice of persecuting both cultural figures and people in general for the use of the Belarusian language as a means of public communication.
- Recommend that international organizations that continue working inside Belarus put the use of the Belarusian language back on the agenda in their public events and communications.
- Expand opportunities to support cultural projects and initiatives, cultural figures located inside Belarus promoting the democratic agenda. In the absence of support for Belarusian culture from the Belarusian state and a situation of ongoing repression, as well as based on the belief that a developed culture is the key to the formation of a stable democratic environment, Belarusian culture (with particular attention to Belarusian-language culture) within Belarus should be one of the priorities of support programs Belarusian civil society with optimization of reporting for security reasons. Despite restrictions on public cultural activities, many cultural figures and initiatives continue to work in the country. For political reasons, these people could be fired from their previous jobs without the possibility of further employment in Belarus and deprived of sources of income. It is crucial to provide them with the opportunity to continue their cultural activities and support them financially, allowing them to remain in the profession and avoid losing their professional level.
- Expand opportunities to support cultural projects located outside Belarus. Culture in emigration serves as a unifying force for Belarusian emigrants. Since many active and conscientious citizens have left Belarus, there is a high demand for participation in cultural life and access to cultural products. The opportunity to maintain connections with Belarusian culture abroad will allow them to remain involved in the Belarusian agenda and continue to support democratic changes in Belarus. Cultural figures located in Belarus (including cultural managers and cultural media) can participate in projects implemented abroad non-publicly while remaining part of the professional community.
- Take measures to simplify the procedures for the legalization of Belarusian cultural figures (including cultural managers and cultural media) in exile, including issues of obtaining a residence permit, a travel document replacing a passport, recognition of documents without apostille due to the impossibility of getting it, issuing visas in Belarus for relatives of forced migrants to visit them, etc.
- Call on private companies, including banks, to stop discriminating against Belarusians and take measures to simplify procedures for Belarusians, including the opening and operating of bank accounts.
- Take measures to ensure favourable conditions for the functioning of Belarusian cultural organizations in exile in new jurisdictions, including issues of institutional support.
- Continue to provide political support to Belarusian figures and cultural organizations in exile at the international level.
- Continue to monitor the security situation of cultural workers, the human rights situation regarding cultural workers and cultural rights in Belarus, and the problems faced by cultural workers in exile.
- Continue to keep the issue of political persecution of Belarusian cultural figures (including cultural managers and cultural media) on the international agenda and demonstrate international solidarity with politically imprisoned cultural figures and cultural figures in exile.
International community
- Belarusian cultural figures acting in the public interest should be identified as a separate target group for monitoring, protection and support. They should be included in programs aimed at protecting the freedom of expression in Belarus, as they play a vital role in the protection of cultural rights according to international standards and per the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights on Cultural Rights Defenders (2020) (A/HRC/43/50).
- Continue to put pressure on the Belarusian authorities to immediately stop torture, release politically imprisoned cultural figures, and stop the practice of persecuting cultural figures.
- To recommend to the international organizations working inside Belarus put the use of the Belarusian language back on the agenda for their public events and communications.
- Expand opportunities to support cultural projects and cultural figures in Belarus and adhere to a democratic agenda. In the absence of support for Belarusian-speaking culture from the Belarusian state and a situation of ongoing repression, as well as based on the belief that a developed culture is the key to the formation of a stable democratic environment, Belarusian culture (with particular attention to Belarusian-speaking culture) within Belarus should be one of the priorities of support programs Belarusian civil society with minimization of reporting for security reasons. Despite restrictions on public cultural activities, many cultural figures and initiatives continue to work in the country. For political reasons, these people could be fired from their previous jobs and deprived of sources of income. It is essential to allow them to continue their cultural activities and support them financially.
- Expand opportunities to support cultural projects located outside Belarus. Culture in emigration serves as a unifying force for Belarusian emigrants. Since many active and conscientious citizens have left Belarus, there is a high demand for participation in cultural life and access to cultural products. The opportunity to maintain connections with Belarusian culture abroad will allow them to remain involved in the Belarusian agenda and continue to support democratic changes in Belarus. Cultural figures located in Belarus (including cultural managers and cultural media) can participate in projects implemented abroad non-publicly while remaining part of the professional community.
- Continue to monitor the security situation of cultural workers and the human rights situation regarding cultural workers and cultural rights in Belarus, as well as the problems faced by cultural workers in exile
- Continue to keep the issue of political persecution of Belarusian cultural figures on the international agenda, as well as demonstrate international solidarity with political prisoners and cultural figures in exile
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Additional documents and useful links:
- Monitoring of violations of cultural rights and human rights of cultural figures. Belarus, 2023 /en/2024/02/26/manitoryng-parushennyau-kulturnyh-pravou-i-pravou-chalaveka-u-dachynenni-da-dzeyachau-kultury-belarus-2023-god.html
- Belarus in the shadow of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Lublin 2023 https://ies.lublin.pl/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ies_policy_papers_no_2023-005.pdf
- The cultural sector in Belarus in 2022 – 2023. Repressions. Trends /en/2023/09/08/the-cultural-sector-in-belarus-in-2022-2023-repressions-trends.html
- Russification in the cultural sphere of Belarus 2022-2023 (ENG) /en/2023/12/26/rusifikaczyya-belarusi-sfera-kultury.html
- (ENG) Overview of language rights violations Belarus in January-June 2023
- Overview of language rights violations in Belarus during the second half of 2023 https://bellit.info/manitorynh/overview-of-language-rights-violations-in-belarus-during-the-second-half-of-2023.html
- The Report by the Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights on Cultural Rights Defenders (2020) (A/HRC/43/50)