HRHF Annual Report 2025

In Belarus today, even culture is not safe from state repression. Books are labeled ‘extremist,’ independent publishers are targeted, and cultural workers face detention or exile. In this interview, Belarusian poet and human rights defender Taciana Niadbaj talks to HRHF about the personal realities of working under such pressure, the emotional cost of exile, and the growing risks for those who continue cultural work inside the country. She also discusses "Belarus. Banned. Books project—an initiative documenting censorship and preserving access to banned literature—highlighting how defending cultural rights has become an essential part of defending human rights.