Yesterday it became known that on September 26 the Ministry of Information updated the list of “extremist materials” and added three new books:
- Timothy Snyder, On Freedom (Kyiv: Nash Format, 2023(?))
- Valancin Akudovič, The Code of Absence (Łohvinaŭ)
- Valancin Akudovič, One Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy (Łohvinaŭ)
Among these books is the winner of the largest Belarusian literary award, the Jerzy Giedroyc Prize, for 2023: the author of One Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy, Valancin Akudovič, was honored “for a meaningful and broad panorama of Belarusian intellectual life.”
We remind you that the inclusion in the “National List of Extremist Materials” carries severe legal consequences, including administrative liability for producing, publishing, possessing, or transporting the banned book. In practice, the scope of “prohibited acts” is applied excessively broadly. Sanctions range from heavy fines to administrative arrest, creating a powerful deterrent for authors, publishers, and readers.
You can read more in detail about the legal assessment here.