Protection & Solidarity
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The Belarusian GULAG on German Television Channel ZDF — A Report Featuring Olga Karach
In ZDF’s report, Olga Karach exposes slave labour in Belarusian penal colonies. The German television channel ZDF aired a report on its programme frontal, examining forced labour in Belarusian penal colonies and how goods produced by prisoners have reached, and continue to reach, the European market through complex supply chains. The report features Olga Karach,…
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If the Bomb Never Explodes, That Does Not Mean It Leaves No Trace
Why the environmental cost of nuclear deterrence belongs in the security debate There is a rather strange system of accounting in nuclear policy. We carefully count warheads and missiles, range and flight time, and the capacity to launch a retaliatory strike, yet we are far less likely to count the land, water and human lives…
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Our House Youth Bring Belarusian Voices to Helsinki
Our House’s youth team recently visited Helsinki for a programme of meetings, exchanges and advocacy activities focused on the challenges facing young Belarusians in exile. IMG_2890 An important part of the visit was a series of meetings with Finnish parliamentarians and German diplomats. These conversations provided an opportunity to raise concerns about the protection of…
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Our House Brings the Experience of Women in Exile into the EU Gender Action Plan IV
Policy input urges the EU to confront gendered transnational repression across borders. Our House Centre for Human Rights and Relief has prepared a new Policy Input for the development of the EU Gender Action Plan IV (GAP IV) 2028–2034, bringing into the European policy debate an issue that remains too often overlooked: authoritarian repression does…
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Shadow Report on Systemic Gaps in Lithuania’s Security Model and Their Consequences for People, Democratic Institutions and the European Union
Gaps in VSD Activities and Institutional Accountability in the Context of Lithuanian National and European Security Period covered: 2020–2026 Prepared on the basis of open-source intelligence (OSINT) and a comparative analysis of the annual assessments by VSD and AOTD 26 September 2026 Executive Summary Lithuania’s model of public reporting on national security systematically narrows security…
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IFOR Statement Calls for Protection of Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian Conscientious Objectors
IFOR urges Europe to protect conscientious objectors from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) submitted a written statement on conscientious objection to the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council. Issued on 22 September 2026 under agenda item 10, the statement bears the reference A/HRC/63/NGO/67. IFOR is an international peace…
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EU Erasmus+ Project: 12-Member Our House Delegation Heads to Helsinki to Meet Finnish MPs
Young Belarusians will discuss peace, human rights, and refugee challenges in Helsinki. Ten young Our House activists and two former Belarusian political prisoners will spend a week in Helsinki participating in an international project funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme. The project focuses on human rights, peace, democratic participation, and conscientious objection…
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Olga Karach has been labeled an «extremist» 32 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 32 times. Today we learned that our X social media profile had been added to the list. This is a record number of repressive labels imposed on a Belarusian human rights defender and the organisations…
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Olga Karach has been labeled an «extremist» 31 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 31 times. Today we learned that our Threads social media profile had been added to the list. This is a record number of repressive labels imposed on a Belarusian human rights defender and…
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Our House Invited to Help Shape a New EU Civil Society Protection Mechanism
Our House brings Belarusian human rights experience into shaping EU protection mechanisms. The Human Rights Centre Our House has been invited to participate in a consultation by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on the creation of a new Europe-wide Online Knowledge Hub on Civic Space — an online platform dedicated to civic space, threat monitoring…
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Olga Karach to Join International Expert Roundtable on Women, Water Diplomacy and Peacebuilding
Human rights defender Olga Karach joins international experts advancing women-led water diplomacy. On 14 September 2026, Belarusian human rights defender and peace activist Olga Karach, head of the International Centre for Civil Initiatives “Our House”, will take part in the international Expert Roundtable “Empowering Women in Water Diplomacy for Peacebuilding in the Conflict-Affected MENA Region.”…
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Our House – Drafting Proposals on the Nationality of Children – CDCJ 2026
Strasbourg, 30 June / juin 2026 Bilingual / Bilingue EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON LEGAL CO-OPERATION (CDCJ) LIMITED WORKING GROUP ON MIGRATION (CDCJ-MIG) Draft revised Recommendation CM/Rec on the nationality of children (CDCJ-MIG(2026)02 prov3), its draft explanatory memorandum (CDCJ-MIG(2026)03 prov3) and its draft checklist for…
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Our House: Recommendation CM/Rec on the nationality of children
Strasbourg, 30 June / juin 2026 Bilingual / Bilingue EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON LEGAL CO-OPERATION (CDCJ) LIMITED WORKING GROUP ON MIGRATION (CDCJ-MIG) Draft revised Recommendation CM/Rec on the nationality of children (CDCJ-MIG(2026)02 prov3), its draft explanatory memorandum (CDCJ-MIG(2026)03 prov3) and its draft checklist for policy makers (CDCJ-2026)05 prov3) DRAFTING PROPOSALS…
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Olga Karach has been labeled an «extremist» 30 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 30 times. This is a record number of repressive labels imposed on a Belarusian human rights defender and the organisations and initiatives associated with her. Today we learned that our website, https://www.ndbelarus.com, had…
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Olga Karach Receives Peace Ambassador 2026 Award in Sweden
Belarusian human rights defender Olga Karach received the Peace Ambassador 2026 award. On 22 August 2026, Belarusian human rights defender Olga Karach, head of the human rights organisation Our House, received the international Peace Ambassador 2026 award at the Peace World Award ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden. The award recognises Karach’s longstanding human rights and anti-war work, including…
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Our House Prepares Policy Input to Shape Europe’s Next Gender Action Plan IV (GAP IV) for 2028–2034
Our House brings exile women’s voices into Europe’s future gender equality policy. Our House Centre for Human Rights and Relief has prepared a policy contribution to the development of the European Union’s next Gender Action Plan IV (GAP IV) for 2028–2034, following an invitation shared by colleagues from PeaceWomen Across the Globe. The official regional…
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From Minsk to Vilnius: Transnational Repression, the Case of Maksim
The European Parliament warns that modern transnational repression often appears as a chain of seemingly lawful decisions. Maksim’s story shows how this mechanism can already operate inside the European Union—gradually depriving a former Belarusian political prisoner of his safety, livelihood, and hope. Why Contemporary Transnational Repression in Europe Is Almost Impossible to Recognize For many…
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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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Closing Equality Gaps: Lessons from Lithuania for Reviving the Horizontal Equal Treatment Directive
Lithuania reveals why stronger EU equality law requires independent implementation and accountability mechanisms. Addressing Structural and Intersectional Discrimination Policy Brief Our House Centre for Human Rights and Relief 1. Executive Summary The Horizontal Equal Treatment Directive represents a critical opportunity to modernise EU equality law and close persistent protection gaps. While existing legislation offers important…