Mechanoluminescence (ML), a general term for the phenomenon in which light emission occurs during any mechanical action on a solid, can be divided roughly into two classes: destructive ML and non-destructive ML. For practical use in high-end applications (e.g. pressure sensors), materials with non-destructive ML properties are preferred. This paper reports on the strong non-destructive ML in BaSi 2 O 2 N 2 :Eu. When irradiated in advance with UV or blue light, this phosphor shows intense blue-green light emission upon mechanical stimulation such as friction or pressure. The ML has an emission band peaking at 498 nm, which is about 4 nm red-shifted compared to the steady state photoluminescence. The origin of the ML is discussed and related to the persistent luminescence of BaSi 2 O 2 N 2 :Eu. The same traps are responsible for both the phenomena.Based on the occurrence of ML in this phosphor, we were able to derive that the predominant crystallographic structure of BaSi 2 O 2 N 2 :Eu belongs to space group Cmc2 1 .