Authorities' justification for book prohibition in Belarus, as clarified by the Minister of Information
In Belarus, a list of banned books, currently standing at 141 titles, has been compiled by the Ministry of Information. This list includes works from internationally acclaimed authors, such as Chuck Palahniuk, Haruki Murakami, Fredrik Backman, and Vladimir Sorokin, among others.
The ministry considers the distribution of these materials to be capable of harming national interests and promoting dangerous, illegal, or morally reprehensible content. The list includes works that delve into political and social issues critical of the regime, reflecting the governmental censorship of critical voices.
Notable additions to the list include Chuck Palahniuk's "Fight Club" and "Invisible Monsters", Haruki Murakami's "Norwegian Wood" and "Topaz", and Fredrik Backman's trilogy "Beartown", "Us Against You", and "After the Fire". Russian authors like Vladimir Sorokin, Elena Malisova, and Ekaterina Silvanova are also represented on the list.
Belarusian authors' works on the list are predominantly historical, including "Outlines of the History of Belarus (1795-2002)" by Zakhary Shybeika, "Secrets of Belarusian History" by Vadim Derugin, and "At the Crossroads of History" by Kastus Tsivrik.
Ivan Belov's popular dark fantasy collection "Guard: All Shades of Twilight" about XVII-century Russian folklore was also banned, as was Donna Tartt's "The Secret History". Two books by Hanya Yanagihara, "A Little Life" and "To Paradise", were also prohibited.
The minister, Marat Markov, has argued that allowing the legal sale of banned books would imply that the state is indifferent to the spread of such content and is willing to profit from it through taxes. He compares the list to sanitary control and vaccination, stating that it is necessary to protect the public from harmful ideas.
Earning money on banned books is not allowed in Belarus. Violations of the ban on selling these books can result in the suspension of the distributor's operating license.
Deputy Minister of Information Denis Ezerichy has expressed the opinion that the list of banned books should be expanded with active public support. The list concludes with "Here They Are, And Here We Are. Belarusian Poetry and Solidarity Verse".
The Minister of Information, Marat Markov, has published comments about the list of banned books in the country. The list is regularly updated by the Ministry of Information.
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