Tucholsky Prize Laureate was barred to come to Sweden

The Belarus government authorities did not allow poet Uladzimir Njakljajev to travel to Sweden to receive this year's Tucholsky prize on November the 15th – the Day of Imprisoned Writers, celebrated by International PEN Club.

The poet and human rights activist should have been awarded the prize as a part of the event Swedish PEN organized in the Stockholm Culture House.
Currently, this event is celebrated around the world as support to the initiative by International PEN.

In Sweden, Tucholsky prize was established out of respect for the writer who made considerable efforts for freedom of expression. The prize has been awarded since 1985. Nuruddin Farah, who visited Göteborg Book Fair 2010, and Salman Rushdie are two of the authors who received this prize.
Uladzimir Njakljajeu has become a laureate for distinguishing himself as a "great poet and outspoken advocate of freedom of expression."

After the presidential elections in Belarus in 2010, when the poet stood as a candidate, he was severely beaten by security forces during the opposing demonstrations. Later, KGB representatives took the author out of hospital, incarcerated and refused him doctor's care.

According to PEN, the poet has suffered the consequences of the abuse until now. Uladzimir applied for a Swedish visa in order to attend the event and also receive medical care. However, the Belarus authorities impeded his departure and continued the author's home confinement. The Swedish PEN strictly condemns this fact.
"Swedish PEN believes that the treatment of Uladzimir Njakljajeu is a blatant example of the dictatorship's practice - the dictatorship that prevails in the country fifty miles from the Swedish border. The situation cannot be compared to anything but the old Soviet dictatorship ways of treating its dissidents," reads the website.