Belarus: Several publishers and PEN Belarus labelled ‘extremist’

Jessica Sänger, Chair of the IPA's Freedom to Publish Committee said: With the classification of Pen Belarus and a number of publishers as extremist organisations, the Belarusian government's repression of authorship and publishing continues to expand. We stand with our brave colleagues, many already in exile, and urge other governments to use diplomacy to reverse the frightening decline of freedom of expression in Belarus.

PEN International reports that the decision targets publishing houses that print books in the Belarusian language, including Kamunikat.org Foundation, Lohvinau Publishing House, and Andrei Yanushkevich Publishing. Belarusian publishers and book distributors operating in Belarus and abroad were also added to the list, including Jarosław Iwaniuk (Kamunikat.org Foundation) and Andrej Januškievič (Knihauka Books, Andrei Yanushkevich Publishing), who are currently based in Poland, and Ihar Łohvinaŭ (Lohvinau Publishing), who is operating from Lithuania. Zmicier Kołas (publishing house, liquidated in 2023), Vacłaŭ Bahdanovič (publishing house Technalohija) and Aleś Jaŭdaha (knihi.by) have been detained in Belarus since 17 February 2026 on administrative grounds and are likely to face criminal charges.

Read the full PEN International statement here: https://www.pen-international.org/news/belarus-pen-belarus-labelled-extremist-amid-systematic-crackdown-on-cultural-rights