SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: June 02, 2026

Attack Types: Prosecution | Other

Institution(s):European Humanities University

Region & Country:Europe | Belarus

New or Ongoing:New Incident

Around June 2, 2026, Belarusian authorities opened a criminal case against individuals affiliated with the European Humanities University (EHU), conducting home searches and interrogations targeting current and former students, alumni, and their families across Belarus.

On April 14, 2026, the Supreme Court of Belarus formally declared EHU an “extremist organization” and prohibited its activities, symbols, and insignia within Belarus. Originally founded in Minsk, EHU relocated to Lithuania in 2004 after the Belarusian Ministry of Education revoked its license. 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 with ties to EHU now face potential criminal liability if they reside in or travel to Belarus (see report).

According to reports gathered by human rights organizations, security forces conducted more than 60 searches under criminal charges of “facilitating” and “financing” extremist activities. Officers interrogated parents of students, informing them that they were witnesses in the investigation. The agents told parents that students must withdraw from EHU and return to Belarus with written proof of their withdrawal within ten days or their parents would face detention. Officers also warned families that sending money to support their children enrolled at the university could be prosecuted as funding extremism.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about a state bringing criminal charges against members of a higher education community in retaliation for their association with an academic institution. 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.

Sources:
https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/06/02/belarus-searches-homes-of-students-at-extremist-branded-university-threatens-reprisals-if-they-refuse-to-drop-out
https://spring96.org/en/news/120433
https://spring96.org/be/news/120426
https://t.me/MAYDAYMog/5892
https://t.me/viasna96/35233
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/06/12/belarus-crackdown-on-an-independent-university