How Belarusian security forces persecute people linked to Vilnius-based EHU

In the summer of 2026, a non-public campaign of forcible persecution of students, graduates and lecturers of the European Humanities University (EHU) in Vilnius began in Belarus. The pretext for the repressions was the authorities' recognition of the university as an "extremist organisation" in April.

As victims told Viasna, the number of searches runs into the dozens, and summonses for interrogation by various security agencies number more than 175 documented cases. After the interrogations, some people stopped making contact.

A Euroradio journalist learned from anonymous EHU graduates what these interrogations look like. Human rights defenders also offered advice on how to minimise the risk of being detained.

"She started crying and throwing herself at the feet of the security officers"

Security forces came in the summer of 2026 to an EHU graduate (whose name is known to the Euroradio editorial team) and his parents. The visit came as a surprise to the family. The mother knew where her teenager was studying, but was not prepared for the possibility that security forces might come to their home. When they showed up, the woman was very frightened.

The authorities tried to obtain confirmation that the child was indeed studying at EHU. The mother understood that she should not confirm this information. However, she could not withstand the pressure.

"She was so frightened that she started crying and throwing herself at the feet of the security officers. She said it was the only opportunity to get an education, that they wanted their child to get an education in Europe," the source said.

The interlocutor did not clarify whether any belongings or documents were taken during the visit.

After that, the security forces demanded that the former student bring a document from EHU confirming his expulsion. The following day, such a document was handed over. That was the end of their communication.

After being expelled, the teenager was unable to continue his studies and did not leave Belarus for the European Union. He had a residence permit issued on a student visa, and an attempt was made to retain it, but it did not work out. The Lithuanian residence permit was only valid for a limited time — about ten days after expulsion.

Nothing more is known about the former student's subsequent fate.

"Can you guess why I'm calling you?"

At the end of the summer, our second interlocutor (whose name is known to the Euroradio editorial team) was summoned for a conversation at the KGB.

"They called me on my mobile, introduced themselves and said something like: 'Can you guess why I'm calling you?' I replied: 'Well, I think I understand,'" the interlocutor recounts.

He was invited to a meeting at the KGB building. Before that, he was asked to bring a document confirming that he had studied at EHU. He brought a copy of the title page of his diploma to the meeting, on which his first and last name could be read.

The interrogation was very brief. The officers behaved like best friends — they were very positive and amiable. They took the document and recorded it in the case file. After that, they said that the former EHU student would appear in the case as a witness.

"They simply said: 'Don't worry, you'll just be a witness, nothing will happen to you, you'll live your life.' They entered me into the record, and then the documents were sent to the Investigative Committee," the interlocutor says.

After this meeting, KGB officers did not contact him again, and the young man travelled to the EU several times, crossing the borders of several union member states. He was not summoned for any further conversations.

"A completely plausible charge has been laid"

How should one behave in a situation where Belarusian security forces have summoned you for interrogation and are asking you to confirm your studies at EHU?

Student activist Siarhiej (a pseudonym — Euroradio), who wished to remain anonymous, is convinced that under no circumstances should you bring security forces any confirmation that you studied at EHU.

In the interlocutor's view, this is pointless, as the person would then immediately be added to the case with witness status. And witness status can very easily be changed to suspect status — and a completely plausible charge laid. It is simply a matter of time before this happens.

"We have no confirmed information about mass detentions"

As Sviatlana Halaŭniova, a lawyer at the human rights centre Viasna, told Euroradio, throughout the summer and autumn people who have faced pressure and persecution over their studies at EHU continue to come to them.

Some reported that they were planning to return to Belarus and comply with the demands made of them — for example, to be expelled from the university or to collect their diploma. After such people returned, contact with them was sometimes lost.

There are also known cases of detention in Belarus of people connected with EHU. This could have occurred during searches, when the relevant documents were found on people.

Some of these detentions ended with interrogations, after which people were released. In some cases, those detained were, by their own account, charged. They could appear in cases as suspects or accused persons.

"There were also cases of administrative detention. In those instances, people were also interrogated and continued to be put under pressure, including regarding payment for studies at EHU. After a certain period of time, they were released," says Halaŭniova.

The persecution has affected around 175 people. By the end of September, this figure may have increased. The list of those persecuted includes students, lecturers and parents of students, as the latter sometimes pay for tuition.

In the documents seen by human rights defenders, a criminal case under Article 361–4 of the Criminal Code of Belarus — "Assistance to extremist activities" — is cited. At the same time, a financial aspect also features in reports of the persecution — in particular, the payment of tuition fees at EHU.

"This criminal case, opened against an unspecified group of persons, currently covers the period from spring 2016 to the present," adds the Viasna lawyer.

Therefore, the persecution may concern not only people currently studying at EHU, but also former students, graduates, as well as former and current university staff.

Students also told Viasna that attention towards them from Belarusian security forces had already been manifested in the previous year. Throughout 2025, problems arose when crossing the border. People could be asked on what grounds they had obtained Lithuanian visas, how they obtained them and where they were studying.

Halaŭniova advises people who studied at EHU or had other connections with it and are in Belarus or travel there periodically to assess the possible risks in advance.

She notes that it is worth checking your documents and the information stored at home, on a computer and other devices even before a possible summons for interrogation.

"In particular, this means not keeping, without necessity, any proof of study or cooperation with EHU, as well as confirmation of tuition payments: receipts, contracts, their electronic copies or screenshots, as well as any other confirmations of money transfers."

At the same time, if tuition was paid from Belarusian bank accounts, it is already impossible to completely conceal such information, as the relevant data is stored in Belarusian banks.

In such a situation, the lawyer believes it is worth working on minimising risks. If a person is in Belarus, she advises against unnecessary confrontation with security forces, while at the same time not providing additional evidence against oneself.

The human rights defender believes that if security forces already have sufficient grounds to open a criminal case, it will be opened. It is therefore important not to create additional materials that could be used against a person.

She separately advises against agreeing to proposals to record video confessions or apologies. It is unknown how such a video might affect the person, their family and loved ones in the future.

According to information received by Euroradio from the BySOL foundation, as of now no requests for emergency evacuation in connection with the EHU case have been received.

"At this point in time, we have no confirmed information about mass detentions following interrogations in the EHU case. We are regularly approached with various questions related to EHU, but this does not constitute a mass request for evacuation."

According to a representative of the foundation, over the course of three months they received around 30 requests related to persecution and pressure on people and their relatives, with questions about how safe it is to travel to Belarus and how to leave the country, as well as how to legalise one's status in other countries.