"I'm proud when they tell me I'm naive." Viktar Babaryka spoke at the Warsaw Book Fair

Meeting with Viktar Babaryka at the Warsaw Book Fair at PGE Narodowy Stadium. Warsaw, Poland. May 31, 2026. Photos here and further: Raul Dziuk / Belsat

A book about the complete destruction of human rights

The meeting with Viktar Babaryka revolved around Sabina Brylo's book "The Case of Viktar Babaryka". Together with the main character of the work, Babaryka's former lawyer, Natallia Matskevich, answered questions from the conversation's host, Tatsiana Niadbai, head of Belarusian PEN. She explained that she initiated the writing of the book and how Sabina became its author.

"Sabina is an excellent journalist. I was simply lucky that I'm friends with her. She is deeply immersed in the topic of human rights, having studied specialized courses at the Human Rights House. We speak the same language of human rights defense, and the book is precisely about that. Moreover, not everyone would agree to undertake such work. Sabina was ready," Natallia said.

The book "The Case of Viktar Babaryka" consists of five layers. Firstly, it covers the 2020 political campaign, Babaryka's decision to run in the elections, the mobilization of people, and the collection of signatures. The second layer is the criminal case itself, the persecution. Next is the trial. The fourth layer is isolation, silence, restricted communication, incommunicado. The fifth is memory and the documentation of the 2020 events.

According to Matskevich, the book is dedicated to the case of human rights deprivation, "not just about human rights violations, but their complete destruction." Sabina Brylo expanded this idea: she described not only the legal aspects but also what was happening around the case, conveying the atmosphere of that time.

"It was hard to believe you were remembered"

Tatsiana Niadbai conveyed a question from the book's author to Viktar Babaryka: did he feel, when he was incommunicado, that someone remembered him daily, as she, Sabina, remembered him while working on the book?

Павялічыць

"For me, the problem of incommunicado is replacing the concept of knowing with believing," replied the former political prisoner. "I constantly tried to know something, not just take someone's word for it. Incommunicado deprives one of this opportunity. When you are behind bars, there are many ways to get information from the outside world; signals come in one way or another. Someone sends greetings, something else – and you live with the knowledge that you are remembered. I was in deep isolation for about two years. There was no knowledge there, and it was hard to believe that you were remembered."

The only signal that he hadn't been forgotten outside was a two-kilogram parcel from his sister, which arrived once every six months. Then Viktar understood that he was remembered:

"I received two kilograms of useless things because my sister didn't know what I needed. But I understood that I was remembered. I could also assume that my children remembered me. Everything else caused very great doubts, and I would say that was the hardest thing – to believe that you were remembered. And that's why now I say – tell everyone to convey to people in detention that they are remembered. Because it's important."

"The only thing I would like to change is the situation with my son"

Viktar Babaryka also spoke about how he saw the judicial system in 2020 and how he wanted to change and dismantle it. For a long time in Belarus, a system had been formed where a prosecutor would come to court knowing that the accused was guilty, the accused himself would admit guilt, and lawyers would agree with this guilt. Their only task was to reduce the sentence.

Павялічыць

"That's how the Belarusian court works. When I found myself in a situation where lawyers considered me innocent, it was a shock for other convicts. They told me it would only lead to a longer sentence. And I asked: what are we fighting for – for a sentence or for innocence? And then they told me: we cannot leave the system as it is, we must do what we are doing, because someday it will end. And throughout my time behind bars, I met only one person, not a political one, who did not admit guilt. He said the same thing – I will have to live on, and I want to live as an honest person. You cannot trade convictions for a sentence," Babaryka recounts.

According to the political prisoner, nothing has changed in his assessment of events, the correctness or incorrectness of various positions. The former political prisoner always tried to do what he considered acceptable. He notes that even if he had known six years ago how everything would end, it would hardly have changed his position.

"The only thing I would like to change is the situation with my son, who is now a hostage (Eduard Babaryka, sentenced to 10 years in prison, is still behind bars — ed.)", notes the participant of the 2020 election campaign.

"Everything was heading towards a physical end"

Among what has changed for him, Babaryka highlights his theoretical foundation. This was facilitated by a vast amount of time spent in detention, especially incommunicado, for thinking.

"And I don't really like the word 'naive' in the sense of 'foolish'. I think that naive means sincere. In this sense, the most naive person is Marc Chagall, the most sincere book about naivety is 'The Little Prince'. At the same time, it is the wisest book. That's why I am proud when they tell me I am naive," says the former political prisoner.

Babaryka adds that he didn't feel particular fear for himself behind bars, although there was "a feeling that everything was heading towards some physical end":

"In the penal colony, they confirmed to me – the pain threshold was being calculated. Four days of sleeplessness, cold – and I would lose consciousness. That's what they were after.

There was a feeling that the end was near. I won't say it was scary. My age saved me. Almost 60 years old. I understood that many people by this time had already naturally completed their journey. There was regret, but not panic fear. The only fear that tormented me was for my children, because I knew nothing about my son's fate."

Павялічыць

The former presidential candidate emphasized that he does not regret a single word he said in 2020, because at that time they were all based on the knowledge that existed then. Now this knowledge base has changed, and it has become clear that one can get a longer sentence for a 'like' than for murder. According to Babaryka, before 2020, there was no such knowledge, nor was there a legal default.

About Poczobut and returning to Belarus

Guests of the meeting asked Viktar what he would advise the former political prisoner journalist Andrzej Poczobut, who wants to return to Belarus. Babaryka first asked to convey greetings to Andrzej and said that he had been his cellmate in the pre-trial detention center — he himself sat in cell three, and Poczobut in cell four. Personally, however, the political prisoners did not meet.

"Whether to return – that must be Andrzej's decision. He is smart enough and understands what he can do to the maximum. What I knew about him from an indirect acquaintance is that he is an intelligent, honest, and dedicated person to his ideas. Therefore, I believe that any decision he makes will be weighed and, from his point of view, the most effective. There is a risk of prison, of pointlessness. But the most important thing is that he does what he considers necessary and right for himself," Viktar noted.

Another question to Babaryka was about his thoughts on the further development of the situation in Ukraine and the risk of war starting in Europe. The former political prisoner noted that it is difficult to foresee anything in a situation where decisions are made by inadequate people. Viktar fears provocative actions from Russia and calls on "those who stand on the side of good" to do everything to prevent a possible provocation that could lead to the war spreading to Belarus. The protagonist of Sabina Brylo's book is convinced that in the event of a provocation, Belarus would be drawn into the war first, not the Baltic countries or Poland.

The game is not over and is "definitely a win-win"

Babaryka emphasized that one must continue to do "what we started in 2020," because "the game is not over," even if several rounds turned out to be in the opponent's favor:

"But I am convinced that this game is ultimately a win-win. No one has ever been able to maintain a dictatorship for a historically long period. Even the example of North Korea, as the most enduring dictatorship, has prospects of dying out. If it loses support. Therefore, our game – a free Belarus – is not just not over, but definitely a win-win."

Павялічыць

Natallia Matskevich added that they continue to await the decision of the UN Human Rights Committee regarding the complaint in Babaryka's case. In the conclusion that the HRC had previously sent, it noted that it was inadmissible to detain and take into custody a person who declared their intention to participate in a criminal proceeding, as Babaryka did. Now, the decision must specify which of Babaryka's rights were violated.

"This will be a historical document, which will state what happened from a legal perspective. <…>. And when Belarus becomes democratic, a decision on Viktar's rehabilitation will have to appear. Although, the HRC's decision itself already legally rehabilitates him. It will also be possible to apply for compensation, as accountability must be seen through to the end. There are no statutes of limitations for the decisions of international bodies," Babaryka's lawyer emphasized.

Viktar Babaryka was arrested on June 18, 2020, and sentenced to 14 years in a reinforced-regime penal colony under two articles of the Criminal Code of Belarus: 235 ("Legalization of funds obtained by criminal means") and 430 ("Receiving a bribe"). He was released on December 13, 2025, by pardon after a meeting between Alexander Lukashenka and Donald Trump's special envoy John Kowl and taken to Ukraine.

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