Lithuania has lodged a strong protest with Belarus over the designation of the European Humanities University (EHU) as an “extremist organisation”. Lithuania is demanding that the decision be revoked and is warning of political and diplomatic measures at the European Union level.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers this decision politically motivated, unfounded and in violation of the principles of international law, as well as the sovereignty of the Republic of Lithuania. This is an unprecedented case in which a higher education institution legally operating in another country has been declared an ‘extremist organisation’,” Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry said.
Lithuania expressed support for EHU as an important space for academic freedom, critical thinking and democratic values, as well as for education free from political influence.
The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said the actions of the Belarusian authorities would further complicate relations between the two countries and warned of retaliatory measures, including at the European Union level.
“The Ministry emphasises that this decision by the Belarusian authorities poses a direct threat to all EHU students, not only those from Belarus, but also to the academic community. It criminalises international academic cooperation and causes significant harm to Belarus’s progressive society, the democratic opposition and the future of the country as a whole.
Lithuania does not recognise the legal force of this decision on its territory, demands its immediate revocation and warns that such actions will further complicate relations between Lithuania and the Republic of Belarus. They will be assessed both at the national level and at the level of the European Union with a view to taking further political and diplomatic measures,” the ministry said in a statement.
Belarus’s Supreme Court recently designated the Vilnius-based EHU and its structural subdivisions as an “extremist organisation”.
The Prosecutor General’s Office claims that the university prepares Belarusian youth “to implement Western scenarios for transforming the political system, promoting so-called democratic values and ‘alternative’ interpretations of historical, cultural and other events.”
In Belarus, searches are being conducted at the homes of graduates, students and other people associated with the university.
