Belarusian human rights defender Olga Karach receives the Italian Peace Prize

Belarusian WHRD Olga Karach receives the Italian Peace Prize for her long-standing work for peace and human rights

The director of the Belarusian human rights organization Our House, Olga Karach, took part in the opening of the Peace Festival in the Italian city of Brescia and became the laureate of the Peace Prize traditionally awarded during this annual event.

This year marks the eighth edition of the Brescia Peace Festival, which runs from November 7 to 23. The organizers have placed Europe and the European Union at the heart of this year’s focus, “encouraging collective reflection on the challenges and opportunities of an ever-changing present.” Around 100 events are planned throughout the city—meetings, conferences, film screenings, exhibitions, and seminars—organized by about 60 different institutions and organizations. Together, they weave culture, current affairs, and civic participation into a shared space for dialogue. One of the central highlights of the festival is the Peace Prize awarded by the city’s mayor, which this year went to the Belarusian activist Olga Karach. The award ceremony was also attended by the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno.

Olga Karach received this distinguished award in recognition of her consistent human rights and civic engagement. She was previously named Human Rights Defender of the Year by Amnesty International Belarus (2005), received the International Award for Civil Courage in Radebeul, Germany (2010), the International Bremen Peace Award (2019), the Human Rights Award of the City of Weimar (2022), the Seán MacBride Peace Prize (2023), and the Alexander Langer International Award in Italy (2023). In 2024, she was also honored with the Ludwig Baumann Peace Prize in Germany for her anti-war work.

Furthermore, Olga Karach and Our House were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize two years in a row—2024 and 2025—highlighting the international recognition of their efforts to defend human rights, support refugees, women, children, and conscientious objectors.