Belarus leads intimidation campaign against former and current students of European Humanities University

The Belarusian authorities are carrying out a countrywide intimidation campaign against former and current students of the European Humanities University (EHU), according to Human Rights Watch.

The organisation defending human rights said on 12/06/2026 that the authorities "have searched the homes of dozens of students and their families and harassed, interrogated and detained them", following Belarus' Supreme Court decision to label the university as an “extremist organisation" in April 2026.

“The vicious targeting of the community of free academic thinkers fostered by the EHU is a blatant attack by the Belarusian government on academic freedoms, free expression and the right to education,” Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said.

He called on governments negotiating with Belarus to urge the authorities to end the political crackdown and respect their international human rights commitments. The European Union already condemned the decision to label EHU as an “extremist organisation” back in April.

The Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus…