Harassment of Catholic priests, closures of national-themed shops reported in Belarus

July 14, Pozirk. Sources reported new attacks on dissidents, Catholic priests and national renaissance activists in Belarus between July 11 and 13, including what appears to be forced closures of shops selling Belarusian-themed goods. Here’s the recap:

• Three shops that sold Belarusian-themed goods – Rahna, LSTR and Honar –announced closure over the last few days.
• Catholic priest Juryj Hrycko, arrested a few days ago in Dziarečyn, Hrodna region, was jailed for 15 days, Haradzienskaja Pravaabarona reported. The charges are unknown.
• Authorities opened a new extremism case against exiled journalist Pavieł Mažejka, deported from Belarus in September 2025, Haradzienskaja Pravaabarona reported.
• Authorities auctioned off three icons seized from Catholic priest Hienrych Akałatovič, who is currently in exile, Zerkalo reported.
• Viciebsk district police prohibited villagers from holding their summer Kupalle festival in the village of Lachoci, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported.
• Law enforcers visited exiled writer Saša Filipienka’s home in Belarus to ask his family about his studies at Vilnius-based European Humanities University (EHU), blacklisted as an “extremist” organization earlier this year, Belsat reported.
• Human rights defenders declared seven more individuals as political prisoners, taking their total to 860.

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Politics, Society

Catholic priest jailed for 15 days

July 13, Pozirk. Catholic priest Juryj Hrycko, arrested a few days ago in Dziarečyn, Hrodna region, was jailed for 15 days, Haradzienskaja Pravaabarona reports. Rights defenders do not know what charges he faced. Before the arrest, about 10 clergy members …

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