Politzek
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35 Years Since the August Coup: The Road to Belarusian Independence
Thirty-five years ago, on August 19, 1991, the Soviet Union awoke to an attempted coup. A group of senior Soviet officials sought to remove Mikhail Gorbachev from power, halt democratic reforms, and preserve the authoritarian Soviet system. They became known as the GKChP — the State Committee on the State of Emergency The August coup…
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Migrants Behind Closed Doors in Pabradė: Collective Punishment and Food Cooked in Tin Cans
SUMMARY Problems with basic living conditions continue to be reported in accommodation centres for foreigners in Lithuania. In Pabradė, migrants cooked food and boiled eggs in tin cans because of a shortage of kitchenware. Up to 85% of residents faced various restrictions on their freedom of movement. “The main problem is a lack of empathy…
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Olga Karach has been labeled an «extremist» 29 times — a record in Lukashenko’s campaign against Belarusian civil society.
Olga Karach, organisations affiliated with her, and the activities of Our House have now been labelled «extremist» or «terrorist» by Lukashenko’s regime 29 times. This is a record number of repressive labels imposed on a Belarusian human rights defender and the organisations and initiatives associated with her. Olga Karach was included in the list of…
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To Refuse to Kill Is Threatening to Every State — An Article in Ställ om! Magazine
Ställ om!, a Swedish digital magazine focused on peace and climate justice, published an article which calls for support for Belarusian and Russian conscientious objectors in Lithuania. They face deportation and imprisonment for refusing military service. It also presents a fundraising calendar dedicated to twelve conscientious objectors. The calendar aims to make their courage visible…
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Transnational Repression Against Belarusians — An Article in Ställ om! Magazine
Ställ om!, a Swedish digital magazine focused on peace and climate justice, published an article about transnational repression against Belarusians. Anatolij Kotov’s disappearance highlights the escalating danger faced by Belarusian political exiles and human rights defenders targeted by Lukashenko’s regime. The public threats and so-called “execution lists” show that transnational repression is becoming a direct…
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Before It Is Too Late: A Warning to Europe — A Letter from Olga Karach
Ställ om!, a Swedish digital magazine focused on peace and climate justice published Olga Karach’s letter. It discusses the difficult situation faced by Belarusian political refugees in Lithuania. Olga Karach warns that Latvia’s retreat from international human rights commitments is not an isolated political episode, but an alarming sign of an authoritarian turn in the…
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A Black Candle for Chernobyl — An Article in Ställ om! Magazine
Ställ om!, a Swedish digital magazine focused on peace and climate justice, published an article by Olga Karach written for the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. The text marks the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster and argues that nuclear power remains inseparable from political secrecy, military risks, and long-term environmental danger. It presents…
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Media Report Deportation of Russian Deserter from Lithuania, While Authorities Say He Left Voluntarily
The Telegram channel and human rights media outlet focused on Russia, Slovo Zashchite (“A Word for the Defence”), reported that a young Russian serviceman who had previously applied for asylum in Lithuania was deported to Russia. The Lithuanian State Border Guard Service says that the man himself withdrew his asylum application and agreed to return…
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Our House Appeals to Cultural Organizations over Skrepetsky’s Murder
ICHRI «Our House» Appeals to Cultural Organizations, Calling for a Response to the Murder of Artist Semyon Skrepetsky The Belarusian human rights organisation Our House (Nash Dom), currently operating in exile in Lithuania, has appealed to international cultural and artistic freedom organisations, calling for a response to the murder of Russian artist, political cartoonist, and…
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An Unexpected Supporter: Alexander Lukashenko Backs Our House’s Demands for a New START Treaty
As you may know, on 5 February 2026, the New START Treaty between Russia and the United States expired. Since then, around the 5th day of every month, Our House has been holding protest actions in Vilnius with one simple demand: resume negotiations on nuclear arms control, begin work on a new START agreement, halt…
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Lukashenko has joined Our House’s anti-nuclear campaign
Our hints have been heard — and even accepted — even by the person from whom we least expected it. «I support nuclear disarmament. And this should apply to everyone: Russia, the United States, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, and other countries. It should apply to everyone». Alexander, our darkness, Grigoryevich, has wandered over to the…
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Russian Artist and Cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky, Who Criticized War and Dictatorships, Shot Dead in Poland
Dear friends! On 15 June 2026, Russian artist, cartoonist, and political émigré Semyon Skrepetsky (Robert Kuzovkov), known for his satirical works directed against authoritarianism, war, militarism, and political violence, was killed in the Polish city of Biała Podlaska. According to Polish media reports, the artist was shot dead in a daytime armed attack. Polish law…
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Olga Karach Labeled an “Extremist” for the 26th Time
On 2 June 2026, the Hlusk District Court of the Mogilev Region issued yet another ruling declaring information resources associated with Olga Karach to be “extremist materials.” According to the court’s decision, the Facebook account named «Olga Karach» was designated as extremist material and is subject to immediate enforcement. The ruling was issued by the…
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Lack of a Comparable Transboundary Monitoring System (Belarus–Lithuania)
Incompatible monitoring systems hinder transboundary water assessment between Belarus and Lithuania under EU rules Countries: Belarus + Lithuania Problem formulation The Vilija–Neris River constitutes a single transboundary water body, the management of which, under the Water Framework Directive (WFD), should be carried out at the level of the entire river basin. However, monitoring systems and…
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Our House took part in the “Chernobyl Way” rally organized by Belarusians in Vilnius
Our House marks Chernobyl anniversary in Vilnius, calling attention to nuclear risks and historical lessons Forty years ago, the world witnessed the largest man-made nuclear disaster — the explosion at Unit 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Although the plant is geographically located in today’s Ukraine, a combination of weather conditions meant that the…
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Belarus was not elected to the UN ECOSOC Committee on NGOs
Lukashenko wanted his representatives to get into the UN ECOSOC Committee on NGOs. This would have given him the ability to control who says what at the UN about his crimes. One of Lukashenko’s main goals now is to “turn the page” – to make himself be perceived as a normal leader of a normal…
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IGFM – To Our House, with an “Extremist” Greeting
Once again, America is sending astronauts to the Moon, and once again the IGFM Wittlich Working Group is dispatching a humanitarian convoy to Our House. This truckload of aid is the 21st in total, and the cumulative volume of distributed assistance has long exceeded 300 tonnes. For both organizations, this volunteer work has become routine.…
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Uncompetitive election lands 13 States with troubled relationship with civil society at the UN Committee on NGOs
States at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) have voted to pick the 19 members of the Committee on NGOs, electing a majority of States with grave records of repressing or obstructing civil society at home and at the UN. ECOSOC States picked the membership of the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO Committee),…
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States that champion human rights defenders must consider candidacy for ECOSOC NGO Committee: UN experts
GENEVA (1 April 2026) – Independent human rights expert today urged Member States which are committed to prioritising human rights defenders and civil society space to stand in the upcoming elections for the Committee of Non-Governmental Organisations (the «NGO Committee»), a body of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Ahead of the April elections,…
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A United Nations Without Democratic Integrity: Why Belarus Must Not Be Entrusted with Gatekeeping Civil Society Access
In April 2026, Member States of the United Nations Economic and Social Council will elect new members to the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations — a body whose mandate extends far beyond administrative procedure and, in practice, determines which voices from civil society are granted meaningful access to the United Nations system. This Committee is not…