Third Congress on Political Prisoners in Belarus

Let us invite you to the Third Congress on Political Prisoners in Belarus #WithoutJustCause, which will begin on May 19 in Poznań with an event dedicated to repressed youth and continue on May 21 in Vilnius. Day 1 will be dedicated to the memory of Vitold Ashurak and to all those who remain behind bars. Through literature and art, we will look beyond prison walls to grasp the scale of repression and the strength of solidarity that connects political prisoners with one another and with the free world.

Day 2 of the Congress will serve as a platform for a strategic shift from documenting crimes to taking practical action. Participants will discuss methods of human rights work under conditions of terror, the “fragile ethics” of assistance, and assess the effectiveness of international pressure on the regime in Belarus. It will provide a space for professional dialogue between human rights defenders and policymakers in the face of current challenges.

Poznań, Poland

19.05.2026

Vilnius, Lithuania

21–22.05.2026

Registration Media accreditation

Партнеры мерапрыемства

Program

Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Collegium Minus, Lubrański Hall

Working languages: Belarusian, Russian, Polish, English

17:00–20:00

The Unbroken Generation. Youth Voices of Belarus 2020

May 21 is the Day of Political Prisoners in Belarus, observed in memory of political activist Vitold Ašurak, who died a violent death in the Škłoŭ penal colony on May 21, 2021. The first day of the Congress will be dedicated to those who remain behind bars today, and to those invisible yet unbreakable threads of solidarity that connect political prisoners with one another and the free world. The program is built around the idea of resistance through connection. Through literature, art, and cinema, we will look behind prison walls to witness the scale of repression and feel the power of solidarity.

Working languages: Belarusian, Russian, English (simultaneous interpretation will be available)

Exhibition of Belarusian Prison Artifacts / Belarusian Human Rights House

Exhibition of Drawings by Political Prisoners “Feelings” / Viasna

09:00–09:30

Registration, morning coffee/tea, networking

09:30–09:45

Opening. Introductory remarks

09:45–10:00

Keynote speech

10:00–11:15

Panel 1: “Shields Without, Networks Within: Solidarity Against Prison Walls”

11:15–11:30

Coffee break

11:30–13:00

Panel 2: “Reporting from Prison: From Protest Coverage to Political Imprisonment. Media Solidarity”

Exhibition on Political Prisoner Journalists / Belarusian Association of Journalists

Exhibition “Letters of Lukashenka’s Prisoners” / Index on Censorship

13:00–14:00

Lunch

14:00–15:30

Panel 3: “Notes from BELAG: Belarusian Prison Literature as an Act of Solidary Witnessing”

Belarusian Prison Literature Stand / Viasna, PEN, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Empty Chair / PEN

15:30–15:45

Coffee break

15:45–17:15

Panel 4: “The Art of Solidarity: The Role of Culture in the Struggle to Free Political Prisoners”

Exhibition of Portraits of Foreign Political Prisoners / Ksiša Aniołava

Screening of the film “Under Grey Sky” (dir. Mara Tamkovič)

The second day of the Congress is dedicated to strategic pathways for transitioning from documenting crimes to actions that could help resolve the human rights crisis in Belarus. Through expert panels and fishbowl discussions, participants will discuss methods of human rights work in the context of total repression, analyze the "fragile ethics" of providing aid within the country, and evaluate the effectiveness of international pressure on the regime. Special attention will be paid to the role of the Belarusian diaspora as a source of long-term assistance and an engine for change, which will help formulate the responsibility and action plan of the Belarusian community abroad in the struggle for a free Belarus.

Working languages: Belarusian, Russian, English (simultaneous interpretation will be available)

9:00–10:00

Registration, morning coffee/tea, networking

9:30–10:00

Working breakfast. Presentation of the BelPol report "On the True Scale of Repressions in Belarus"

10:00–10:15

Introductory remarks

10:15–10:30

Keynote speech

10:30–12:00

Panel 1: “Defining the Darkness, Finding the Light: Strategies of Human Rights Organizations and Initiatives for Belarus”

12:00–12:15

Coffee break

12:15–13:45

Fishbowl 1: “The Fragile Ethics of Assistance: Where is the Line Between Safety and the Effectiveness of Support Inside and Outside Belarus?”

13:45–14:45

Lunch

14:45–16:15

Panel 2: “Pressure and Support: How Can the International Community Effectively Influence the Regime in Minsk?”

16:15–17:45

Fishbowl 2: “The Role and Responsibility of the Belarusian Community Abroad in Supporting the Released”