BELARUSIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS

Two displays highlight the less visible victims of the oppression of Putin and Lukashenko, as Eastern Europe convulses with ongoing authoritarianism and war.

In Belarus, since 2020, the Lukashenko regime has imprisoned thousands of people who dared to stand up against his rule. Political opponents, artists, journalists, peaceful protestors, anyone putting up any symbols of freedom, admins of online chat groups… people doing anything to stand for freedom, democracy and justice have been imprisoned. Sentences such a 6 years for a post on social media, 10 years for lawyers, 8 years for peaceful protests, have been given.

One display declares the names of 1,500 political prisoners in Belarus, with each named individually on a yellow label. Political prisoners classed as “extremist” are required to wear yellow labels in prison. The second display shows artwork and poems created by Belarusian prisoners while in prison. These drawings and poems are often sent in letters to family members, or given to lawyers on their occasional visits. The drawings and poems reflect innocent prisoners hopes for freedom, reflections on the war in Ukraine and on prison life.