{"id":20240,"date":"2025-09-04T11:09:37","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T11:09:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/?p=20240"},"modified":"2026-01-20T13:37:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T13:37:31","slug":"belaruskaya-kniga-pad-presam-represij","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/penbelarus.org\/en\/2025\/09\/04\/belaruskaya-kniga-pad-presam-represij.html","title":{"rendered":"The Belarusian book under repression"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/a>
\nRepression against the free Belarusian book: a five-year overview<\/a>
\nPersecution of writers: statistics<\/a>
\nThe current state of the sector: problems and consequences<\/a>
\nWriters inside the country: emotional state, working strategies, and future outlook<\/a>
\nConclusions and needs for support<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, the security forces confiscated my laptop and memory drives. Along with them, they irretrievably stole the creative achievements of recent years: the manuscript of my poetry collection, Ascension, the manuscript of my renowned book about mushrooms, The Secrets of the Belarusian Forest, which I had been compiling and writing for over four years and was planning to publish soon, several short stories, dozens of translations, a photo archive\u2026\u201d
\n<\/em>Siarhiej Sys [1]<\/a>, \u201cPieralot-trava\u201d<\/p>\n

INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The year 2020 marked a turning point for Belarusian culture. Progress that had been made \u2013 limited though it was under an authoritarian regime \u2013 did not merely stall; structures created by the independent cultural sector were effectively dismantled, as was the relative creative freedom that had previously been felt, even within official institutions.<\/p>\n

Figures from across the cultural sphere, including writers, took part in the protests [2]<\/a>, which were followed by a crackdown ranging from criminal prosecution to expulsion from the public space. The Belarusian book has since found itself under institutional pressure, with censorship mechanisms and administrative barriers turned into systemic tools of repression against free expression.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the state-controlled literary sector continues to be propped up through administrative resources: publishing houses are subsidised, the pro-government Writers\u2019 Union receives budget funding, and Soviet-era practices \u2013 such as state order, mandatory subscriptions, and state procurement \u2013 remain in place. Books by pro-regime propagandists are included in the list of \u201csocially significant\u201d publications. Meanwhile, the independent book market has come under unprecedented pressure, with a systematic campaign against \u201cundesirable\u201d books, their authors, and their readers.<\/p>\n

The \u201cnew normal\u201d now includes the liquidation of associations, withdrawal of publishers\u2019 licences, defamation of authors, confiscation of books, and bans on their storage or distribution. Censorship has become overt, with scientific works, historical studies, and writings by both contemporary and classic Belarusian authors being declared \u201cextremist.\u201d A separate list of printed materials \u201ccapable of harming the national interests of the Republic of Belarus\u201d has also been introduced. This represents only a fraction of the repression directed at free literature over the past five years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a great relief that we no longer see these books on our shelves today [\u2026] They are the most terrible, the most powerful weapon. I mean the books [that have been labelled \u2018extremist\u2019]. A failure to understand that books are much more powerful weapons than rockets and tanks leads to the necessity of using rockets and tanks,\u201d declared then Deputy Minister of Information Ihar Buzo\u016dski at a roundtable<\/a> meeting on political writing in 2022.<\/p>\n

This report presents the current state of Belarusian literature. It is based on monitoring [3]<\/a> by PEN Belarus and on ten interviews conducted between January and August 2025 with \u201cPeople of Word\u201d [4]<\/a>: writers, poets, translators, lecturers, publishers, and researchers from both the independent and state-controlled cultural sectors. It highlights cases of pressure, statistics on the persecution of authors, the main challenges facing literature in Belarus, their consequences, and the needs of the independent literary community.<\/p>\n

REPRESSION AGAINST THE FREE BELARUSIAN BOOK: A FIVE-YEAR OVERVIEW<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Before turning to the repressions documented after the events of 2020, it is important to recall earlier cases of persecution of cultural figures, including writers.<\/p>\n

On 7\u20138 December 2019<\/em><\/strong><\/span>, peaceful protests against integration with Russia took place in several Belarusian cities, sparked by negotiations on new \u201croad maps\u201d between the two countries [5]<\/a>. By the end of December, court hearings began against participants in these protests. Essayist, prose writer, publicist and civic activist Pavie\u0142 Sieviaryniec was detained outside his home for calling to defend the country\u2019s independence, fined, and sentenced to 15 days of arrest, which was later extended by another month. Linguist and essayist Piotr Sado\u016dski was twice subjected to administrative punishment in the form of a fine. During one of the rallies in defence of independence, Sado\u016dski sang a patriotic song based on the words of the classic Belarusian writer Janka Kupa\u0142a, A \u016d bary, bary<\/em> (In the Forest<\/em>). Symbolically, he had sung the same song on 25 August 1991, as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the BSSR, on the day the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus was granted constitutional status. Other writers were also targeted during these events.<\/p>\n

2020<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Arbitrary detentions, fines, and administrative arrests of writers became commonplace: first for defending independence, then for participating in legal pre-election pickets, protest marches, neighbourhood cultural events, and other initiatives triggered by the fraudulent elections and violence against peaceful demonstrators. There were documented cases of particularly harsh detentions and beatings, including in temporary detention facilities.<\/p>\n

Criminal cases were opened, interrogations conducted, summons issued by the Investigative Committee, and searches carried out.<\/p>\n

Authors deemed disloyal were expelled from the Union of Writers.<\/p>\n

Dismissals followed \u2013 some were presented as \u201cby mutual agreement,\u201d while others were described as voluntary resignations from state institutions in protest against the authorities. University lecturers were summoned before ideological commissions and rectors and reprimanded for participating in rallies, voicing support for protesters, or otherwise demonstrating civic engagement.<\/p>\n

Cancellations of literary events, book launches, and autograph sessions began to appear, officially \u201cfor technical reasons\u201d.<\/p>\n

The first political prisoners among writers emerged.<\/p>\n

Some authors were forced to leave the country due to safety concerns.<\/p>\n

2021<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Publishers Andrej Janu\u0161kievi\u010d and Hienad\u017a Viniarski were detained and interrogated; their publishing houses, Janu\u0161kievi\u010d<\/em> and Knihazbor,<\/em> were searched, their accounts frozen, and their activities paralysed for nearly five months.<\/p>\n

The Belarusian customs service blocked the import of books by specific authors and publishers, sending them for review for \u201cextremism\u201d.<\/p>\n

On 26 March, the book Belarusian Donbas<\/em> by journalists Kaciaryna Andrejeva (Bachva\u0142ava) and Ihar Ilja\u0161, both now political prisoners, about Belarusians\u2019 involvement in the war in eastern Ukraine, was declared \u201cextremist\u201d. This marked the first such case in a long series of similar instances.<\/p>\n

State television and pro-government media launched smear campaigns against prominent writers and independent historians. Among those targeted were poet Natalla Arsie\u0144nieva, author of the hymn Mahutny Bo\u017ea<\/em> (Mighty God<\/em>), one of the symbols of protest, and the works of U\u0142adzimir Ar\u0142o\u016d, Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161uk, U\u0142adzimir Niaklaje\u016d, Pavie\u0142 Sieviaryniec, Aleh \u0141aty\u0161onak, and others.<\/p>\n

Nobel laureate Sviat\u0142ana Aleksijevi\u010d\u2019s (Svetlana Alexievich) The Last Witnesses<\/em> was removed from the Year 11 school literature curriculum and replaced by Syny<\/em> (Sons<\/em>), written by the pro-government Union of Writers\u2019 chair Mika\u0142aj \u010carhiniec.<\/p>\n

Books by \u201cprotest\u201d authors, and publications with white-red-white symbolism, were pulled from state shops and libraries. The country\u2019s largest book retailer, Belkniha, ceased cooperation with several publishers and authors. The state-owned Belsajuzdruk unilaterally terminated contracts for distributing independent periodicals, including Novy \u010cas<\/em> and Na\u0161a Historyja<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Pro-government propaganda channels on Telegram published defamatory \u201cconfession\u201d videos, depicting detained individuals allegedly in possession of \u201cinappropriate\u201d books. Documented incidents include the confiscation of such materials during the arrests of activists, as well as during a search conducted at the Nil Hilevi\u010d University. Authorities seized the entire library from the Or\u0161a branch of the Belarusian Language Society, including publications from the Belarusian Prison Literature<\/em> series. In places of incarceration, political prisoners faced restrictions on access to books.<\/p>\n

Censorship in the state-controlled media continued to intensify. Specific authors were deliberately excluded from print publications, with editorial boards refusing to publish their work or even mention their names. Key literary magazines, including Po\u0142ymia<\/em>, Ma\u0142ados\u0107<\/em>, and Nioman<\/em>, saw their editors-in-chief replaced.<\/p>\n

The cultural crackdown extended to the performing arts, with tour permits denied for productions based on works by authors deemed disloyal to the regime.<\/p>\n

Pressure on civil society organisations began to escalate. On 9 August, the Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of the Belarusian PEN Centre. This was followed by the liquidation of the Union of Belarusian Writers on 1 October and the Franci\u0161ak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society on 8 November. Meanwhile, the pro-government Union of Writers circulated guidance to libraries specifying which authors\u2019 books may or may not be accepted, even as donations.<\/p>\n

Employees of cultural institutions faced growing repression, including dismissals, removal of teaching hours, and other punitive measures, targeting those considered \u201cunreliable\u201d. Such actions extended to staff at the Faculty of Philology at the country\u2019s leading university.<\/p>\n

Arbitrary detentions of writers persisted, alongside administrative trials, house searches, confiscation of equipment, and the removal of red-and-white Belarusian symbols, as well as, in some cases, the seizure of literary manuscripts. Criminal cases were initiated; authors were summoned for interrogation \u2013 sometimes in connection with specific book publications. Closed trials were conducted, and new sentences were handed down.<\/p>\n

Writers began to appear on the State Security Committee\u2019s (KGB) \u201cList of Organisations and Individuals Involved in Terrorist Activity\u201d.<\/p>\n

Social media accounts were increasingly designated as \u201cextremist materials\u201d.<\/p>\n

In response, users mass-deleted likes, red-and-white symbols, and other \u201csensitive\u201d content from their profiles. In some instances, writers were forced to delete their Facebook accounts altogether under threat from security forces (\u201cDelete it \u2013 or go to prison!\u201d).<\/p>\n

The layer of repression that remained invisible to the public continued to expand.<\/p>\n

Publishers began to apply internal censorship, reviewing all planned publications for potential \u201cextremism\u201d.<\/p>\n

Fearing reprisals, authors were withdrawing from informal cultural events and requesting that their names not be publicised when they won non-state literary awards.<\/p>\n

Belarusian cultural production was increasingly relocated abroad. In Kyiv, a stage adaptation of Sa\u0161a Filipienka\u2019s (Sasha Filipenko) novel Ex-Son<\/em> premiered, and a production of Revolution<\/em> by writer Viktar Marcinovi\u010d was announced at a theatre in Germany.<\/p>\n

2022<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

The Janu\u0161kievi\u010d publishing house was deprived of its office, and at the opening of Kniha\u016dka<\/em>, its new bookshop, pro-government propagandists and representatives of the security services staged a raid on the premises. As a result, 200 books were confiscated. Publisher Andrej Janu\u0161kievi\u010d and shop employee, literary critic Nasta Karnackaja, were arrested. Just 7.5 hours after opening, Kniha\u016dka<\/em> was forced to close.<\/p>\n

The Ministry of Information suspended the activities of four independent publishing houses \u2013 Medisont<\/em>, Halijafy<\/em>, Limarius<\/em>, and Knihazbor<\/em> \u2013 for a period of three months. By the end of the year, Limarius<\/em> and Halijafy<\/em> were liquidated, while Medisont<\/em> and Knihazbor<\/em> remained in a state of uncertainty.<\/p>\n

Pro-government propagandists and \u201cconcerned citizens\u201d organised so-called \u201ccleansing cultural raids\u201d on bookshops, searching shelves for ideologically \u201charmful\u201d publications. These included books featuring the white-red-white Belarusian symbols, works by independent historians and authors critical of the regime, as well as literature on LGBT themes.<\/p>\n

The distribution of books already published by independent publishers \u2013 and Belarusian-language literature more broadly \u2013 has been severely obstructed. \u201cBlacklists\u201d circulated among libraries have led to the confiscation of numerous works and the prohibition of replenishing collections with independent titles.<\/p>\n

Dismissals continued, including of highly qualified cultural specialists, at media outlets focused on Belarusian culture, such as the journals Mastactva<\/em>, Po\u0142ymia<\/em>, Ma\u0142ados\u0107<\/em>, Nioman<\/em>, and the newspaper Kultura<\/em>. University staff and students also faced expulsions.<\/p>\n

Unofficial bans on public appearances were imposed on specific authors. Meetings with cultural figures were often cancelled after being announced, and the process of organising \u201ccultural and entertainment events\u201d was deliberately complicated. Under the pro-government Union of Writers, a commission was established to oversee public access to bookshop inventories. Theatre repertoires were purged of plays based on works by writers deemed disloyal to the regime.<\/p>\n

The Chairman of the pro-government Union of Writers, Mika\u0142aj \u010carhiniec, was awarded the honorary title of \u201cPeople\u2019s Writer of Belarus\u201d \u2013 a title last conferred in 1995. \u010carhiniec was known exclusively for detective and militarised plots and had never written a single work in Belarusian. However, he played a direct role in compiling \u201cblacklists\u201d of writers. State media continued to smear dissenting authors, publishing defamatory materials, including against political prisoner and human rights defender Ale\u015b Bialacki, following the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to him.<\/p>\n

Arbitrary detentions persisted, including arrests for participation in anti-war protests against Russia\u2019s so-called \u201cspecial military operation\u201d, for distributing allegedly \u201cfake\u201d anti-Russian materials, and for expressing support for Ukraine, in general. Preventive \u201cconversations\u201d and interrogations were conducted, criminal cases initiated, and other forms of persecution employed.<\/p>\n

Belarusian writers previously convicted under criminal charges were added to the so-called \u201clist of extremists\u201d \u2013 the \u201cRegister of Citizens of the Republic of Belarus, Foreign Citizens, and Stateless Persons Involved in Extremist Activity\u201d.<\/p>\n

The relocation of Belarusian cultural activity abroad accelerated, particularly in the case of literary festivals. The persecution of political \u00e9migr\u00e9s intensified.<\/p>\n

By the end of 2022, 11 [6]<\/a>\u00a0 books were added to the official \u201cNational List of Extremist Materials\u201d.<\/p>\n

2023<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

Publisher Zmicier Ko\u0142as was detained. He spent ten days in custody.<\/p>\n

Three more independent publishing houses \u2013 Janu\u0161kievi\u010d<\/em>, Knihazbor<\/em>, and Zmicier Ko\u0142as \u2013<\/em> were liquidated.<\/p>\n

State interference in the stock of bookshops and library collections continued, with works labelled \u201cextremist\u201d removed from shelves and electronic catalogues. Consequently, the Belarusian book market was becoming increasingly dominated by Russian authors and publishers.<\/p>\n

Censorship extended into schools. From the 2023\/2024 academic year, ideologically motivated changes were introduced into the Belarusian literature curriculum for the final Year 11: U\u0142adzimir Karatkievi\u010d\u2019s historical novel Ears of Rye Under Your Sickle<\/em> was removed and replaced by The Black Castle of Al\u0161any<\/em>, while Ale\u015b Razana\u016d\u2019s poem Ragnvald Rules the City<\/em> was also excluded from the additional reading list. Artur Volski\u2019s tale The Native Word<\/em> and U\u0142adzimir Jaho\u016ddzik\u2019s short story The Lark<\/em> were eliminated from the recommended \u201cLiterary Reading\u201d programme for Year 4.<\/p>\n

The website of the independent Belarusian journal ARCHE<\/em> (arche.by) was permanently blocked. Access was temporarily restricted to audiobooks.by, a Belarusian-language audiobook platform, and to kamunikat.org, the most extensive online library of Belarusian literature.<\/p>\n

The literary and arts journal Dziejas\u0142o\u016d<\/em>, first published in September 2002, was forced to cease publication.<\/p>\n

Amendments to the Law<\/em> on Publishing in the Republic of Belarus<\/em> further expanded the powers of the Ministry of Information, including the right to revoke state registration certificates of publishers of printed materials.<\/p>\n

Even works by classical Belarusian authors of the 19th and 20th centuries were labelled \u201cextremist,\u201d including \u201cThe Winds are Blowing\u201d<\/em> and \u201cThe Old Grandfather\u2019s Conversation\u201d<\/em> from Vincent Dunin-Marcinkievi\u010d\u2019s Selected Works<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Unwritten bans were imposed on mentioning the names of disloyal authors, with lists circulated of those who may not be cited. The regime\u2019s fear even extended to the deceased: following a denunciation by a pro-government activist in the town of Zelva, a cast-aluminium bust of dissident poet \u0141arysa Hieniju\u0161, erected in 2003, was dismantled.<\/p>\n

Reports documented cancelled lectures, visits by security officials to writers\u2019 homes and workplaces with \u201cwarnings\u201d, interrogations at the Ministry of Culture of those suspected of disloyalty, and continuous monitoring of cultural workers\u2019 social media pages. Dismissals persisted, often following denunciations by regime loyalists or after administrative detentions, with victims facing severe difficulties finding new employment if branded as dissenters.<\/p>\n

Writers were placed on official lists of citizens deemed members of \u201cextremist formations\u201d \u2013 for example, due to affiliation with the Belarusian Association of Journalists.<\/p>\n

Authors were detained and interrogated at the Belarusian border, while mass persecution was reported for donations made to aid funds supporting victims of repression in 2020\u20132021. The harassment of political \u00e9migr\u00e9s intensified, including property seizures and pressure on relatives remaining in Belarus.<\/p>\n

By the end of 2023, forty books had been added to the official \u201cNational List of Extremist Materials\u201d.<\/p>\n

2024<\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n

The Nioman<\/em> Literary and Arts Foundation, which published the journal Dziejas\u0142o\u016d<\/em>, was liquidated.<\/p>\n

Access was temporarily blocked to several cultural websites, including: Knihauka.com<\/em>, the Warsaw-based bookshop of the Janu\u0161kievi\u010d publishing house; Bellit.info<\/em>, the website of the International Union of Belarusian Writers established in Vilnius following the liquidation of the Union of Belarusian Writers; and Ficbook.net<\/em>, the largest Russian-language online platform for amateur authors.<\/p>\n

The exhibition Vasil Byka\u016d: Life Through Outlines and Lines\u2026<\/em>, dedicated to the centenary of the birth of the People\u2019s Writer of Belarus and one of the most consistent critics of the \u0141uka\u0161enka regime, was shut down on the tenth day of operation, despite being scheduled to run for four and a half months.<\/p>\n

Cases of violence against readers continue to be recorded \u2013 including beatings for possession of Belarusian-language works, particularly historical literature, discovered during searches. There were reports of \u201ccleansings\u201d of prison and penal colony libraries, with books in foreign languages and educational materials removed, sometimes even physically destroyed.<\/p>\n

Materials designated as \u201cextremist\u201d included the Instagram page of PEN Belarus, the literary YouTube channel Chadanovi\u010d<\/em>, and the video and lyrics of the song Nie By\u0107 Skotam<\/em> (\u201cNot to Be Cattle\u201d) by the band Liapis Trubetskoi<\/em>, based on the 1908 poem Who Are You?<\/em> by Janka Kupa\u0142a, the People\u2019s Poet of the BSSR. The continuously expanding list also featured books by imprisoned writers, including Pavie\u0142 Sieviaryniec, Ihar Mielnika\u016d, and Zmicier Da\u0161kievi\u010d.<\/p>\n

Amendments to the Law<\/em> on Publishing in the Republic of Belarus<\/em>, adopted in 2023, introduced a new censorship mechanism: a register of printed publications banned from distribution as allegedly \u201charmful to the national interests of the country\u201d. At the time of compilation, most of the books included in this list concerned LGBT themes and were published by Russian publishing houses. In total, 35 titles were banned.<\/p>\n

The changes also affected individual entrepreneurs, significantly reducing the range of permitted activities. Publishing was excluded from the list entirely. From 31 December 2025, they will be required to re-register as legal entities \u2013 entailing higher costs, more complex procedures, and tighter state control.<\/p>\n

By the end of 2024, 59 books were added to the \u201cNational List of Extremist Materials\u201d.<\/p>\n

January<\/em> \u2013 <\/em><\/span>August 2025<\/span> <\/em><\/h5>\n

Arbitrary detentions, as well as administrative and criminal prosecutions of writers and other \u201cPeople of the Word\u201d, continued. Authors were summoned for interrogations and so-called \u201cpreventive conversations\u201d, subjected to defamation campaigns, and in some cases silenced through a ban on the use of their names. Dismissals and professional bans were increasingly applied. Censorship persisted, with the complete prohibition or restriction of the dissemination of creative works, alongside other forms of repression.<\/p>\n

Denunciations of writers and their books, accusatory publications on social media, and other activities by regime supporters did not cease. On the contrary, such actions were increasingly used as justification for punishments and further repressive measures.<\/p>\n

The persecution of exiled Belarusian writers also intensified, with many being placed on wanted lists circulated jointly by Belarus and Russia. In addition, the Instagram page of Skaryna Press<\/em> \u2013 a London-based publisher and online shop for Belarusian books \u2013 was designated as \u201cextremist material\u201d.<\/p>\n

By the end of August 2025, 81 books were added to the official \u201cNational List of Extremist Materials\u201d. A further 141 titles were on the register of printed publications deemed \u201ccapable of harming the national interests\u201d of the country. As of the time of writing, there are 30 incarcerated writers recognised as political prisoners in Belarus.<\/p>\n

PERSECUTION OF WRITERS<\/strong> [7]<\/a>: STATISTICS<\/strong><\/h3>\n

By the end of 2020, Belarus counted 6 writers and \u2018People of the Word\u2019 recognised as political prisoners. By the end of August 2025, this figure rose to 30. Considering unreported cases and those serving sentences of home confinement, the total number amounts to 40 [8]<\/a> individuals.<\/p>\n

Ihar Alinievi\u010d, Andrej Alaksandra\u016d, Kaciaryna Andrejeva (Bachva\u0142ava), Vac\u0142a\u016d Are\u0161ka, Dzmitryj Bajarovi\u010d, Ale\u015b Bialacki, Pavie\u0142 Vinahrada\u016d, Dzmitryj Ha\u0142ava\u010d, Zmicier Da\u0161kievi\u010d, Miko\u0142a Dziadok, Maksim Znak, Dzianis Iva\u0161yn, Alaksandr Iljin, Ihar Ilja\u0161, Valeryja Kasciuhova, Aleh Kacapa\u016d, Maksim Lepu\u0161enka, Pavie\u0142 Ma\u017eejka, Ivan Maroza\u016d, U\u0142adzimir Mackievi\u010d, Ihar Mielnika\u016d, Alaksiej Navahrodski, Eduard Pal\u010dys, Cina Pa\u0142ynskaja, Alena Pankratava, Andrej Pa\u010dobut (Andrzej Poczobut), Palina Pitkievi\u010d, Siarhiej Sacuk, Pavie\u0142 Sieviaryniec, Natalla Sivickaja, Nadzieja Staravojtava, Aleh Sy\u010do\u016d, Alaksandr Franckievi\u010d, Alaksandr Fiaduta, Aleh Chamienka, Alena Ciera\u0161kova, \u0141arysa \u0160\u010dyrakova, Aksana Ju\u010dkavi\u010d <\/strong>\u2013 together with at least two other writers who remain imprisoned or subject to restrictions on their liberty.<\/p>\n

Of those imprisoned in 2020, only two have since been released: poet and member of presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka\u2019s nomination group, Sviat\u0142ana Kuprejeva<\/strong>, whose pre-trial detention was replaced with a travel ban in October 2021; and poet and theatre director Ihnat Sidor\u010dyk, who completed his three-year sentence in an open-type correctional facility in July 2023.<\/p>\n

Over the course of just five years, 16 writers fully served their sentences, ranging from 1.5 to 4 years in penal colonies, 2 to 3 years of restricted freedom in open-type correctional facilities, and 1 to 3 years of home confinement. These included:<\/p>\n

Andrej Aku\u0161ka, Mark Biern\u0161tejn, Tacciana Vada\u0142a\u017eskaja, Hanna Va\u017enik, Alaksandr Vasilevi\u010d, Alaksiej Iljin\u010dyk, Volha Ka\u0142ackaja, Siarhiej Makarevi\u010d, Ivan Maroza\u016d (behind bars again), Mika\u0142aj Papieka, Pavie\u0142 Piernika\u016d, Ihnat Sidor\u010dyk, Andrej Skurko, Ksienija Syrama\u0142ot, Jana Ceh\u0142a, Dzmitryj Jurta\u016d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Six others were released following presidential pardons: Aleh Hruzdzi\u0142ovi\u010d, Nastassia Macia\u0161, Darja Chmialnickaja, Natalla Dulina, Ihar Karniej, <\/strong>and Andrej Kuznie\u010dyk<\/strong> (the last three were forcibly deported from the country).<\/p>\n

In total, no fewer than 67 writers and \u201cPeople of the Word\u201d have been convicted under criminal charges in in-person trials. Nine individuals received prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years, most often in medium-security penal colonies:<\/p>\n