Protection & Solidarity
Latest
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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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Call to Action: Seeking Justice for the Murder of Political Cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky
Russian political cartoonist and artist Semyon Skrepetsky was shot dead in Poland after years of criticizing war, authoritarianism, and political violence. This appeal calls on European institutions to ensure an independent investigation and to address the broader threats facing artists, journalists, and political exiles across Europe. The killing of Semyon Skrepetsky raises questions that extend…
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The European Parliament Supports Our House’s Campaign for the Release of Aliaksandra Pulinovich
The European Parliament has demanded the immediate release of Aliaksandra Pulinovich and all political prisoners in Belarus. On 18 June 2026, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation of political prisoners in Belarus, paying particular attention to the case of the minor political prisoner Aliaksandra Pulinovich. Members of the European Parliament demanded her…
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Killing of Artist Semyon Skrepetsky in Poland: Rights Defenders Urge UN Scrutiny of Public Exposure of Personal Data
A Belarusian human rights organisation in exile has appealed to UN Special Rapporteurs following the killing of artist and political cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky in Poland. The appeal asks whether publicly accessible databases containing personal information can endanger artists, journalists, and political exiles. This communication was submitted to several UN Special Rapporteurs in response to the…
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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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Lithuania Deported a Russian Deserter after Six Months of Continuous Detention
A Russian deserter who fled the war in Ukraine and requested asylum in Lithuania spent nearly six months continuously deprived of liberty before being returned to Russia. His subsequent arrest raises serious concerns about the handling of asylum claims and compliance with international protection obligations. The public version of the case is based almost entirely…
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Humanitarian Assistance as the Restoration of Human Dignity and Social Trust
Beyond food and shelter, humanitarian aid can help people reclaim dignity, trust, and hope for the future. Introduction Over the past six years of working with refugees, forced migrants, deserters, conscientious objectors, former military personnel, and people affected by war and political repression, we have come to understand that humanitarian assistance is far more than…
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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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Those Who Never Make It into the History Books
They left no monuments, won no medals, and rarely appear in history books. Yet their quiet courage may be among war’s most important stories. When we speak about war, we tend to think first of shattered cities, of lives lost beneath bombardment, of shifting borders, or of armies colliding on the battlefield. Yet every war…
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Belarus: UN experts raise alarm over treatment of political prisoners, urge medical intervention
GENEVA – UN human rights experts* today expressed grave concern over the continued detention, alleged ill-treatment and denial of adequate medical care to several individuals imprisoned in Belarus on politically motivated charges, including charges related to “terrorism” and “extremism”. “We are deeply alarmed by persistent reports of prolonged solitary confinement, incommunicado detention, denial of family contact,…
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“Our House” and “Adliga” CEDAW submissions officially published by OHCHR
Two submissions prepared by “Our House” and “Adliga” officially accepted and published by OHCHR within the CEDAW process Two submissions prepared by the International Centre for Civil Initiatives “Our House” and the affiliated women’s organization “Adliga” have been officially accepted and published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)…
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Comments on the Draft CEDAW General Recommendation No. 41 on Gender Stereotypes
Migrant women in Lithuania face layered controls, stereotypes and security checks that shape their rights to family life, residence and legal protection. Country: Lithuania Introduction This submission provides comments on selected provisions of the draft CEDAW General Recommendation No. 41 on gender stereotypes, based on an analysis of the situation in Lithuania. The submission focuses…
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Comments on the Draft CEDAW General Recommendation No. 41 on Gender Stereotypes
Belarus uses law, policy and media to construct, legitimize and enforce gender stereotypes as systemic governance mechanisms shaping identity and roles Country: Belarus Introduction This submission provides targeted legal comments on selected provisions of the draft General Recommendation No. 41 (hereinafter – “the draft GR”), in light of the situation in the Republic of Belarus.…
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“Right to Language”: Our House launches campaign to defend Belarusian linguistic rights
Our House launches campaign defending Belarusians’ right to use their language On May 6, the human rights organization Our House Centre for Human Rights and Relief officially launched the campaign “Right to Language” (“Права на мову”). The word mova in Belarusian means “language” – not only as a tool of communication, but as a core…
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We Did It: Monk Grzegorz Gaweł Released From Belarusian Prison
Polish anti-nuclear monk freed after international solidarity campaign secured his release Today, 28 April, it became known that Grzegorz Gaweł – a Polish Carmelite monk who had been detained and accused of “nuclear espionage” – has been released. A man who, until recently, was almost unknown before our joint campaign is now free, safe, and…
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Freedom for the Black Nightingales – Children, Anarchists, Political Prisoners in Belarus
Children political prisoners in Belarus remain behind bars for anti-war dissent. For almost a decade, Our House has been one of the very few organisations consistently working on the issue of children behind bars in Belarus, engaging not only with cases of political persecution but also with those involving minors imprisoned under draconian criminal legislation,…
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Aliaksandra Pulinovich. Human rights violation dossier
Detained at sixteen, Aliaksandra Pulinovich now serves a lengthy sentence as a Belarusian political prisoner Prepared by: VšĮ „Our House Centre for Human Rights and Relief“ Date: April 2026 1. Personal information Field Information First name, surname Aliaksandra Pulinovich Date of birth 12 February 2007 Citizenship Republic of Belarus Current place of residence Republic of…