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The banning of books is not only an act of censorship, but also a violation of the right to freedom of expression and access to information, as enshrined in international treaties. PEN Belarus documents every case to ensure that the truth about cultural repression is preserved and heard. In the film, we talk about the

Why are books banned in Belarus, who assesses their “harmfulness,” and how does the censorship mechanism work overall? We do not have clear answers to these questions. A distinctive feature of the Belarusian situation is the absence of any coherent explanation from the repressive authorities. Books are removed from libraries, bookshops, and school curricula —

On December 29, 2025, 52 new books were added to the list of printed publications that, according to the authorities, “may harm the national interests of the Republic of Belarus”: Our Neighbours on the Planet: Stories about Wild Animals — Jan Bouvin Jansen, Lotte Stegmann Daddy — Hélène Delforge, Quentin Gréban Where Do Babies Come

On November 13 the Ministry of Information updated the list of “extremist materials” and added two new books: Sasha Filipenko, Red Crosses (Kraków: «Gutenberg», 2025) Sasha Filipenko, The Elephant (Kraków: «Gutenberg», 2025) Sasha Filipenko is a Belarusian writer, journalist, TV host, PEN Belarus member. He is the author of the novels The Elephant, Red Crosses, Extermination, Former Son, Ideas, Return to

On 15 November 2025, an exhibition dedicated to banned books in Belarus was presented in Gdańsk. The exhibition opened as part of the award ceremony for the winners of the Jerzy Giedroyc Prize, the largest Belarusian literary award. So, what did visitors at the European Solidarity Centre in Gdańsk discover when confronted with a visual

Today it became known that on November 3, 2025, by the decision of the Leninsky District Court of Mahiloŭ, a new book was added to the list of “extremist materials.” There They Are, and Here We Are: Belarusian Poetry and Poems of Solidarity, Edited and compiled by V. Korkunov. Afterword by U. Verina (Moscow: Nedovolny, 2021)

On September 26 the Ministry of Information updated the list of “extremist materials” and added three new books: Valer Hapiejeŭ, Volniery. The Harbinger (Januškievič, 2023) Valer Hapiejeŭ, Volniery. The Endless Day (Januškievič, 2024) Douglas E. Nash & Remy Spezzano, Kampfgruppe Mühlenkamp: 5th SS Panzer Division “Wiking”, Eastern Poland, July 1944 (2020) Among these books is a finalist of

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

On September 30, 2025, 32 new books were added to the list of printed publications that, according to the authorities, “may harm the national interests of the Republic of Belarus,” including two books by PEN Belarus member Sasha Filipenko: Day of the Dead. A Book with Fascinating Tasks – comp. S.A. Stankevich The Elephant –

Today it became known that on September 10, by the decision of the Minsk’s Zavodski District Court, three new books were added to the list of “extremist materials.” Rainer Zitelmann, “Hitler: The Worldview of a Revolutionary” (Moscow: Socium, 2023(?)) Hermann Hoth, “The Collapse of Operation Barbarossa” (Moscow: Yauza-Press, 2025) Wilhelm von Leeb, Franz Halder, “The