{"id":159850,"date":"2025-10-13T21:10:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T18:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/159850\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"culture-is-a-strategic-front-belarusian-pen-highlights-rights-violations-at-osce-conference","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/159850\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cCulture is a strategic front\u201d: Belarusian PEN highlights rights violations at OSCE conference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 13, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Independent observers have documented more than 6,000 violations of cultural and human rights affecting nearly 1,900 cultural figures, Belarusian PEN President Ta\u0107ciana Niadbaj said<\/a> at a thematic event during the OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Niadbaj stressed that it is crucial to protect cultural rights. \u201cBelarus is Europe. And if Europe wants to have a European country to the east of Poland, not the Russian world, then culture is a strategic front,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the activist, independent publishing houses have been crushed, libraries are being purged, and artists and intellectuals are being forced to live in exile or remain silent. The Belarusian language is being deliberately marginalized in education, media and publishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCurrently, more than 258 titles and 208 authors are banned,\u201d Niadbaj said, referring to the \u201cextremist content\u201d lists and the unofficial \u201cblacklist,\u201d a censorship mechanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Belarus, owning a banned book can result in a fine or even in jail time, she said. She said that writers and publishers have been forced into exile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBanned books are being distributed underground or digitally,\u201d Niadbaj said. \u201cThe survival of Belarusian culture today depends not only on the courage of people inside Belarus, but also on international solidarity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n
\n \"\"
\n

Belarus-related events at Warsaw Human Dimension Conference<\/h3>\n
October 10, Pozirk. The OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, taking place from October 6 to 17, includes a series of events focused on Belarus. Discussions on accountability and exiled media were held on October 7 and 8, respectively. On October …<\/div>\n \n