„In Belarus you can go to jail for liking me on Instagram.“ # Interview with a writer Sasha Filipenko
Sasha Filipenko is a Belarusian writer, journalist, political activist, and speaker at this year’s International Conference in Honour of the Laureate of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.
Filipenko openly opposed Alexander Lukashenko’s regime and wrote in support of the release of Belarusian political prisoners. After the 2020 protests, he moved to Switzerland to avoid potential criminal prosecution of up to 12 years in prison for his opposition activities.
For Havel Channel, Filipenko talks with Ian Willoughby about how writing can be a tool for supporting and raising awareness about the regime in Belarus, the regime’s methods of monitoring him even after his departure, and the destruction of culture in Belarus.
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Serie: Artists in Oppression / 2025
13th annual International Conference in Honour of the Laureate of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize
“The only lost cause is one we give up on before we enter the struggle.”
Václav Havel (Summer Meditations, 1991)
Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Venue: Technology Center of the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, Mikulandská 5, Prague 1
Under the auspices of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Jan Lipavský
Freedom of artistic creation is one of the fundamental human rights, at least according to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, which lists it alongside other human rights. Artistic freedom is a specific type of freedom of expression, and it is no coincidence that artists, along with journalists and commentators, tend to head lists of persecuted individuals. Through their work, artists stir up society and f
„Prison made me even stronger.“ # Interview with Aleksandra Skochilenko, russian artist and activist
