On September 15, 2025, the Belarusian Prosecutor General recognized the European Humanities University (EHU) as an “extremist organization,” submitting a petition to formally ban its activities and symbols within Belarus.
Founded in Minsk in 1992, EHU was established to promote liberal education in the humanities and social sciences. In 2004, the Belarusian Ministry of Education revoked EHU’s license on a technicality about location suitability, later characterizing the university as too “pro-Western.” EHU was reestablished in Lithuania in 2005 and continued serving Belarusian scholars as a self-described “university-in-exile.”
In August 2025, Belarusian authorities labeled EHU’s website and social networks as extremist materials. In September, Prosecutor General Andrej Švied submitted a formal petition for the Supreme Court to designate the designate the university’s entire operation as “extremist.” He accused the university of deliberately working to destabilize Belarus by promoting “alternative” interpretations of historical events, democratic values, and Western political transformation. Membership in extremist groups is a criminal offense in Belarus, potentially subjecting affiliated students and professors to up to seven years in prison.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about a decision by national policymakers to exclude a higher education institution, its students and faculty, from engagement within a state, apparently based on political or ideological (rather than academic) considerations. State authorities have a responsibility not to interfere with the peaceful exercise of the rights to academic freedom and freedom of association, so long as those activities are undertaken peacefully and responsibly. Attempts to limit international academic exchange undermine academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and democratic society generally.
UPDATE 4/15/26: On April 14, 2026, the Supreme Court of Belarus issued its ruling on the Prosecutor General’s petition, formally declaring EHU an “extremist organisation” and prohibiting its activities, symbols, and insignia within Belarus. Under Belarusian law, association with a designated extremist organization is a criminal offense carrying a sentence of up to seven years in prison, meaning students, faculty, alumni, and others ties to EHU now face potential criminal liability if they reside in or travel to Belarus.
Sources:
https://spring96.org/en/news/118677
https://en.belsat.eu/88933850/european-humanities-university-is-recognized-as-an-extremist-organization-in-belarus
https://pozirk.online/en/news/155464/
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22254545
https://spring96.org/en/news/118626
https://en.belsat.eu/92630097/ehu-labeled-extremist-its-activities-prohibited-on-belarusian-territory
https://nashaniva.com/amp/en/392850