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As of 15 October 2026, at least 115 cultural figures, including at least 19 writers, were either imprisoned or under home confinement. The number of banned books increased to 390.
The trial of Catholic priest and local historian Anatol Parachnievič began behind closed doors in a politically motivated criminal case.
Special judicial proceedings were initiated against poet, performer and historical costume reconstruction specialist Kaciaryna Vadanosava in a politically motivated criminal case.
It has emerged that imprisoned local historian Uładzimir Hundar, from Baranavičy, is suffering from hearing problems, high blood pressure and back pain.
Imprisoned poet Valery Pazniakievič was admitted to the Mahiloŭ Regional Cardiology Centre because of a heart condition.
Imprisoned cultural scholar Vacłaŭ Areška has completely lost his sight in a penal colony.
Thirteen books were added to the list of printed publications which, according to the authorities, ‘may harm the national interests of the Republic of Belarus’.
Independent publishers Ihar Łohvinaŭ, Andrej Januškievič and Jarosław Iwaniuk were added to wanted persons database.
The Facebook page of Belarusian culture promoter Maryja Hryc was designated as “extremist materials”.
The human rights Facebook page ‘Death Penalty in Belarus’ was added to the National List of Extremist Materials.
The Instagram page CHATKA – Belarusian Cultural Society. Gdańsk was designated as “extremist materials”.
I. Criminal prosecution of cultural figures, authors, and performers
1. On 6 October, it emerged that the trial of Catholic priest and local historian Anatol Parachnievič had begun behind closed doors in Minsk in a politically motivated criminal case. He was detained on 16 March 2026 and placed in the KGB pre-trial detention centre. While in detention, he suffered a heart attack.
In the absence of official information, members of the Catholic community have suggested that Anatol Parachnievič may have been arrested for commemorating Poles who died in Belarus.
Anatol Parachnievič studied Belarusian history and culture and established a museum at the Catholic church in the village of Alkovičy (Vilejka District, Minsk Region). The museum housed 18th-century liturgical vestments decorated with Sluck sashes, as well as early printed books.
2. On 13 October, special judicial proceedings were initiated in a politically motivated criminal case against Kaciaryna Vadanosava, a poet, performer, historical costume reconstruction specialist and recipient of the 2024 Francišak Bahuševič Prize. The proceedings concern Part 3 of Article 130-1 and Part 1 of Article 130-2 of the Criminal Code.
In March 2025, the Prosecutor General’s Office opened a criminal case against Kaciaryna Vadanosava over her ‘original interpretation of historical events of the Second World War on YouTube’.
The case was brought under Part 3 of Article 130-1 of the Criminal Code (‘Rehabilitation of Nazism’) in connection with educational video lectures on the YouTube channel ‘Budźma biełarusami!’ (‘Let’s Be Belarusians!’).
The grounds for the criminal prosecution were a video lecture entitled ‘The Main Myth of the Second World War: The Assassination of Gauleiter Wilhelm Kube. What Is Wrong with This Account?’
Kaciaryna Vadanosava is currently outside Belarus.
II. Deteriorating health of imprisoned cultural figures
1. On 6 October, it emerged that imprisoned local historian Uładzimir Hundar, from Baranavičy, was suffering from hearing problems, high blood pressure and back pain. He has a Group II disability and has had one leg amputated.
Uładzimir Hundar is serving a sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
2. On 7 October, imprisoned poet Valery Pazniakievič was transferred from the residential facility for convicts at an open-type correctional facility to the Mahiloŭ Regional Cardiology Centre because of a heart condition and fluctuations in blood pressure.
On 14 August 2025, the Minsk District Court sentenced Valery Pazniakievič under Part 2 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code (‘Insulting the President of the Republic of Belarus’) to three years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility.
3. On 8 October, it emerged that imprisoned cultural scholar Vacłaŭ Areška had completely lost his sight in the penal colony. A relative reported: “Previously, he could still distinguish light and shadow. Now even that is gone.” The administration of Penal Colony No. 22, where Areška is being held, offered to transfer him to a hospital under prisoner escort, but he refused. “As far as I know, he is afraid of going to hospital because he may not survive the transfer,” the relative said.
III. Banned books
On 7 October, 13 books were added to the list of printed publications which, according to the authorities, ‘may harm the national interests of the Republic of Belarus’ and are therefore prohibited from being sold, given away, advertised or distributed.
Among the banned books is the psychological thriller The Room (1971) by American writer Hubert Selby Jr.
IV. Repression against independent publishers
1. On 7 October, it emerged that publisher Ihar Łohvinaŭ had been added to Russia’s wanted persons database.
On 3 March 2026, the KGB designated a purported coalition of publishing houses –‘Kamunikat.org Foundation’, ‘Lohvinau Publishing House’ and ‘Andrei Yanushkevich Publishing’ – as an ‘extremist formation’.
No such coalition exists; it is a fictitious association fabricated by the security services.
2. On 7 October, it emerged that historian and publisher Andrej Januškievič, founder of the Januškievič publishing house (‘Andrei Yanushkevich Publishing’), had been added to Russia’s wanted persons database.
On 3 March 2026, the KGB designated a purported coalition of publishing houses –‘Kamunikat.org Foundation’, ‘Lohvinau Publishing House’ and ‘Andrei Yanushkevich Publishing’ – as an ‘extremist formation’.
No such coalition exists; it is a fictitious association fabricated by the security services.
3. On 8 October, it emerged that publisher Jarosław Iwaniuk, founder of the Kamunikat online library and the Kamunikat.org Foundation publishing house, had been added to Russia’s wanted persons database.
Jarosław Iwaniuk is an ethnic Belarusian from Bielsk Podlaski and a Polish citizen.
On 3 March 2026, the KGB designated a purported coalition of publishing houses –‘Kamunikat.org Foundation’, ‘Lohvinau Publishing House’ and ‘Andrei Yanushkevich Publishing’ – as an ‘extremist formation’.
No such coalition exists; it is a fictitious association fabricated by the security services.
V. Designation of social media accounts belonging to authors and cultural figures as “extremist materials”
1. On 1 October, it emerged that the YouTube account ‘Tihanovski_stihi’ had been designated as ‘extremist materials’ by the Ašmiany District Court’s ruling dated 25 September.
This is the creative channel ‘A Pharmacy, a Street, a Streetlamp’ belonging to Siarhiej Cichanoŭski, where poems and songs he wrote while imprisoned are published.
Some of the poems were written in Pre-trial Detention Centre No. 3 in Homiel and Prison No. 8 in Žodzina.
The channel also has pages on TikTok and Facebook.
2. On 1 October, the Facebook page ‘Maria Grits’, belonging to Belarusian culture promoter Maryja Hryc, was designated as ‘extremist materials’ by a decision of the Połack District and City Court.
3. On 12 October, the Instagram page ‘siarheihun’, belonging to Belarusian culture promoter and former political prisoner Siarhiej Huń, was designated as ‘extremist materials’ by a decision of the Kiraŭsk District Court in the Mahiloŭ Region.
VI. Designation of social media pages of cultural and human rights initiatives as “extremist materials”
1. On 9 October, the Instagram page ‘CHATKA – Belarusian Cultural Society. Gdańsk’ was designated as ‘extremist materials’ by a decision of the Ušačy District Court in the Viciebsk Region.
2. On 9 October, the Instagram page ‘STUDIO OF NATIONAL BELARUSIAN TATTOOING Warsaw’ was designated as ‘extremist materials’ by a decision of the Ušačy District Court in the Viciebsk Region.
3. On 12 October, the Facebook page ‘Death Penalty in Belarus’ was added to the National List of Extremist Materials. The human rights campaign against the death penalty actively uses non-fiction literature, documentary filmmaking and visual art in its work.
4. The Instagram page ‘chor_poznanski_spiewuny_schod’, belonging to a Belarusian choir in Poznań, was designated as “extremist materials”.
5. The Instagram page ‘Sufliadka’, belonging to a Belarusian clothing brand, was added to the National List of Extremist Materials.
Disclaimer: Belarusian personal names and proper names
Personal names
Personal names and surnames in this text are rendered using the traditional Belarusian Latin alphabet Łacinka. We also provide their equivalents according to the current Instruction on the Transliteration of Surnames and Given Names of Citizens of the Republic of Belarus. Where direct access to official identity documents is unavailable, the transliterated forms of names may differ from the spellings used in official passport records.
| Belarusian Łacinka | Official transliteration (since 23.10.2008) | Other known spellings |
| Anatol Parachnievič | Anatol Parakhnievich | Anatol Parakhnevich |
| Andrej Januškievič | Andrej Janushkievich | Andrei Yanushkevich |
| Ihar Łohvinaŭ | Igar Logvinaw | Lohvinau |
| Kaciaryna Vadanosava | Katsiaryna Vadanosava | |
| Maryja Hryc | Maryja Gryts | Maria Grits |
| Siarhiej Cichanoŭski | Siargiej Tsikhanowski | Siarhei Tsikhanouski / Sergei Tikhanovsky / Tihanovski |
| Siarhiej Huń | Siargiej Gun | Siarhei Hun |
| Uładzimir Hundar | Uladzimir Gundar | |
| Vacłaŭ Areška | Viachaslaw Areshka | Vatslau Areshka / Viachaslau Areshka |
| Valery Pazniakievič | Valery Pazniakievich | Valery Pazniakevich |
Toponyms
Geographical names in this text are rendered using the traditional Belarusian Latin alphabet Łacinka. We also provide their equivalents according to the current Instruction on Rendering the Names of Geographical Features from Belarusian and Russian into Other Languages and on Transliteration of the Names of Geographical Features into the Latin Alphabet.
| Belarusian Łacinka | Official transliteration (since 23.10.2008) | Other known spellings |
| Alkovičy | Alkovichy | Aĺkovičy |
| Ašmiany | Ashmiany | Ashmyany |
| Baranavičy | Baranavichy | |
| Homiel | Gomiel | Gomel |
| Kiraŭsk | Kirawsk | |
| Mahiloŭ | Magiliow | Mahiloŭ / Mahiliou / Mahilyow |
| Połack | Polack | |
| Sluck | Sluck | Slutsk |
| Ušačy | Ushachy | Vušačy |
| Viciebsk | Viciebsk | Vitebsk / Vitsyebsk / Vicebsk |
| Vilejka | Vilejka | Vialejka / Vileyka |
| Žodzina | Zhodzina |
Proper names of organisations, projects, etc.
The names of Belarusian organisations, projects and similar entities in this text are rendered using the traditional Belarusian Latin alphabet Łacinka.
| Belarusian Łacinka | Official transliteration | Other known spellings |
| Budźma biełarusami! (channel) | Budzma / Let’s Be Belarusians! |