Victory: Belarusian conscientious objector Siarhei released from closed refugee camp in Lithuania
On Friday evening, Belarusian conscientious objector Siarhei was released from a closed refugee camp in Lithuania. We won the court case. Although the hearing took place late on Friday, when courts normally finish their work, the court still proceeded and made a decision to release him.
On Friday evening, Belarusian conscientious objector Siarhei was released from a closed refugee camp in Lithuania. We won the court case. Although the hearing took place late on Friday, when courts normally finish their work, the court still proceeded and made a decision to release him.
The hearing itself was closed; only Siarhei and his lawyer were present. After his release, Siarhei told us that the lawyer did an excellent job. According to him, the migration officer repeatedly distorted facts, misrepresented information, and attempted to mislead the court. The presence of legal defence was crucial — together they demonstrated these inconsistencies, and this played a key role in the court’s decision to release Siarhei.
Siarhei also stressed that the border guards responsible for the refugee camp behaved politely and correctly. He has no complaints regarding their conduct. Some even congratulated him on the positive court decision and his freedom.
The closed refugee camp is located around 50–60 km from Vilnius, and late in the evening there was no way to return by public transport. We had to drive there ourselves and pick him up from a nearby petrol station, where he was waiting after his release.
Attached is a photo of happy Olga Karach and happy Siarhei after we picked him up from the refugee camp. Siarhei is holding the official court decision confirming his release and allowing him to remain in Lithuania.
As of February 27, 2026, Siarhei’s legal status is regularised until a final decision on his asylum case is made. He is no longer at immediate risk of deportation, and for at least the coming months he can stay legally in Lithuania while the case is reviewed.
Our next step is to secure political asylum for him – or, at minimum, humanitarian residence status, similar to the case of other Belarusian CO Hleb in Lithuania.
Who is Siarhei?
Siarhei is a Belarusian conscientious objector. He grew up in a family of career military officers and initially followed a military path himself. Later, he consciously chose non-violence, refused to carry weapons, left military service, and changed his profession. He participated in peaceful protests in 2020 and helped organise a workers’ strike at the Ostrovets nuclear power plant. Because of this, he faces criminal prosecution in Belarus. He previously received a negative asylum decision and was detained after submitting a repeated asylum request, which led to his placement in a closed refugee camp.
This is an important victory – not only for Siarhei, but for everyone who believes that people should not be punished for refusing to participate in war.
Congratulations to everyone who stood with us.
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