The Disturbing the Peace 2025 Award Ceremony Held — Political Prisoner and Attorney Maksim Znak Named Laureate

The 2025 Disturbing the Peace Award ceremony took place in New York, where imprisoned Belarusian lawyer and writer Maksim Znak was announced as this year’s laureate. The event, attended by around 300 representatives of the cultural, diplomatic, and business communities, featured photographs from stage performances based on Znak’s works, as well as readings of excerpts from his short stories. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya accepted the Disturbing the Peace Award on his behalf.

The annual Václav Havel Centre’s Disturbing the Peace – Courageous Writer at Risk Award honours writers who, like Václav Havel himself, demonstrate an unwavering commitment to human rights and face persecution for their beliefs. The award includes a USD 5,000 prize and aims to draw international attention to those who risk their freedom in defence of the written word.