Protection & Solidarity
Latest
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Humanitarian Aid in Lithuania: Two Records – One Broken, One Not
This Sunday, 30 November, activists of Our House and supporters of this Belarusian organization—now operating in exile in Lithuania—unloaded yet another humanitarian truck, the twentieth so far. The shipment was sent by our long-term German partner, IGFM-Wittlich. What does this look like? This truck carries 90 cubic meters of boxes, bags, bicycles, and food. What can we compare…
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Polish Monk Detained in Belarus on Espionage Charges
Polish Carmelite monk Grzegorz Gawel is held in Belarus on unfounded espionage charges, denied legal access and treated as a political prisoner. This dossier documents the detention of Grzegorz Gawel, a Polish Carmelite monk arrested by Belarusian security services in September 2025 and charged with espionage. Belarusian authorities claim he possessed a photocopy of a…
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Lithuanian Media Exposes Rape of Male Refugees in Closed State Centres in Lithuania
Independent Lithuanian news outlet Delfi has published a detailed investigation revealing systematic sexual violence against young male refugees inside Lithuania’s closed migration and detention facilities. The report, written by journalist Vitaute Merekaitė and released on 16 October 2025, documents testimonies of Iraqi men raped by a psychologist working in state institutions, raising urgent questions about…
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Belarus Confiscates Olga Karach’s Apartment in Retaliation for Her Human Rights Work
It is no secret that Belarusian human rights defender Olga Karach is one of Alexander Lukashenko’s personal enemies and among the most persecuted activists in the country, and the regime’s escalating attacks on Our House and its leaders show how profoundly it fears their human rights work. It has now become known that the apartment…
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Amnesty International Named Olga Karach Human Rights Defender of the Year: A 2005 Retrospective
Today marks a milestone: it has been twenty years since Olga Karach was named Human Rights Defender of the Year — not just by anyone, but by Amnesty International Belarus. Yet even two decades ago Olga was already an established figure: a teacher, a civic activist, and a politician. By that time she had graduated…
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Raman Bandarenka: A Symbol of State Impunity
Designer Raman Bandarenka was beaten to death in Minsk in 2020. His case became a symbol of unpunished violence in Belarus. Raman Bandarenka, a 31-year-old artist and shop manager from Minsk, was brutally beaten by plain-clothed men in the “Square of Changes” courtyard after defending peaceful protest symbols. He died the next day from severe…
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Belarusian Priest Sentenced in Secret Trial
Catholic priest Andzhei Yukhnevich, recognized as a political prisoner, was secretly tried and sentenced in Belarus to 13 years in prison. Fr. Andzhei Yukhnevich, a Catholic priest from the Vitebsk region, was detained in May 2024 and later convicted behind closed doors in Shumilina. Human-rights groups denounce the trial as politically motivated and warn of…
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Olga Karach in Tertio — the leading Catholic magazine in Belgium
Olga Karach, Director of the organisation Our House, has given a long and detailed interview to Tertio, Belgium’s leading Catholic weekly. In the interview, she speaks about efforts to build peace, protect human rights, and address the challenges faced by our war-affected region. Olga reflects on conscience, solidarity, and the vital role of civil society…
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Letters for a Prisoner of Conscience: Free Father Henryk
Write a letter to a prisoner of conscience — a Catholic priest persecuted for his faith. As Christmas approaches, we all hope for miracles — and believe that miracles can happen. But today, in Belarus, a Catholic priest is behind bars for his faith. Father Henryk Okolotovich, a parish priest from Volozhin, was arrested in…
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SECURITIZING RHETORIC AND DISCRIMINATORY STATEMENTS BY LITHUANIAN OFFICIALS REGARDING BELARUSIANS (2020–2025)
The report documents 2020–2025 rhetoric by Lithuanian officials casting Belarusians as security threats—without evidence—contrary to EU rights norms. I. Introduction This document records instances of securitizing and discriminatory rhetoric, as well as public statements and official comments made by Evelina Gudzinskaitė, Head of the Migration Department of Lithuania, that display signs of bias and xenophobia…
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Selective Application of Security Criteria and the Suspension of Belarusian Naturalization in Lithuania (2019–2024)
2019–2024 data show Lithuania froze Belarusian naturalization—betraying the “safe haven” pledge and institutionalizing persecution on the basis of nationality. 1. Introduction In 2020–2021, Lithuania publicly declared its readiness to become a “haven for Belarusians fleeing the Lukashenko regime.” However, the official statistical data of the Lithuanian Migration Department, the Ministry of the Interior, and the…
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Between the Promise of Asylum and the Practice of Expulsion: Lithuania’s Humanitarian Paradox for Belarusians
Lithuania calls itself a safe haven for Belarusians, yet 2019–2025 data show rising refusals and net exits—turning asylum promises into quiet expulsion. Statistical Data and Trends (2019–2025) SummaryThe public rhetoric of Lithuanian authorities and officials presents Lithuania as “the safest haven” and “the most welcoming and attractive EU country” for Belarusians fleeing political and military…
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Protection & Solidarity Campaign
Protect the most vulnerable–children, women, cultural workers, and nature—through legal aid, advocacy, and cross-border solidarity amid war. “Our House”, International Centre for Civil Initiatives Introduction The war in the region has dramatically worsened the situation of already vulnerable groups, many of whom remain invisible in the current humanitarian and political agendas. These are not abstract…