Tsikhanouskaya’s Office on EHU Being Declared an “Extremist Organisation”: Regime Sees Independent Education as a Threat

The office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has commented on the designation of the European Humanities University as an “extremist organisation” in Belarus and said that the accusations against EHU of “destabilisation”, “working for special services” and “preparing Western scenarios” have no legal basis and are propaganda aimed at justifying repression.

The office noted that declaring EHU “extremist” threatens the safety of thousands of students and lecturers.

Tsikhanouskaya’s legal adviser Leanid Marozau stressed that EHU operates within the legal framework of the European Union.

“We are seeing the regime’s typical substitution of concepts: education, academic freedom and international cooperation are being declared a threat to the state.

It is particularly telling that the prosecutor’s office uses language about ‘interference by foreign states’ and ‘destructive activities’, while ignoring the fact that EHU operates openly, within the legal framework of the European Union, and is a recognised university with international accreditation,” Marozau said.

Marozau described the accusations against EHU as absurd and stressed that the Lukashenka regime sees free education as a threat.

“Such statements about alleged ‘financing of radical groups’, ‘links to terrorist organisations’ and ‘preparing young people to seize power’ are not supported by any evidence and are openly absurd in nature. Their purpose is to intimidate students, lecturers and everyone connected with the independent educational space.

This decision is yet another confirmation that the regime sees free and independent education as a threat,” Tsikhanouskaya’s adviser said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Belarus’s Supreme Court declared the Vilnius-based European Humanities University, together with its structural subdivisions, an “extremist organisation”.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said that EHU’s activities are supervised by foreign states and foundations and claimed that the university’s work is aimed at “destabilising the socio-political situation” in Belarus. The Prosecutor General’s Office believes that the university is preparing 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”.