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Catholic priest gets three years in prison after authorities drop high treason charge
November 3, Pozirk. A district judge in Vilejka, Minsk region, has sentenced Roman Catholic priest Anatol Parachnievič to three years in prison, after the charges against him had been downgraded from high treason to “insulting authorities and extremism.”
The sentence, which includes a heavy fine, was imposed on the 66-year-old Parachnievič in October, katolik.life reported on Tuesday, citing believers. The trial took place in Vilejka and not in Minsk as had been announced earlier. It was held behind closed doors, which is why even the diocese’s hierarchy reportedly knows nothing about his case.
According to the report, Parachnievič appealed his sentence, which indicates that he did not admit his guilt and views the ruling as unfair.
Members of his parish in the village of Alkovičy, Vilejka district, petitioned authorities to release him, katolik.life said.
Parachnievič was arrested in mid-March along with six other Christian believers, including two pastors of Protestant churches. Two of the detainees were released after being questioned, while the others remained behind bars.
On June 1, human rights groups declared Parachnievič a political prisoner. The priest was held in the Committee for State Security’s (KGB) detention center for more than 200 days.
Many leaders of religious communities in Belarus as well as rank-and-file believers have faced politically motivated persecution after speaking out during the crisis that erupted following the 2020 presidential election.
In 2023, Alaksandar Łukašenka expanded the grounds for dissolving religious organizations and banned religious associations from expressing political positions that diverge from the official line.
At least 95 Christian ministers, including 37 Catholics, 29 Protestants, 21 Orthodox Christians and five Greek Catholics, faced some form of politically motivated persecution in Belarus between late 2020 and July 2026, according to Chryścijanskaja Vizija.
Catholic priest accused of high treason on trial in Minsk
October 6, Pozirk. Anatol Parachnievič, a 66-year-old priest and pastor of the parish in Alkovičy in the Minsk region’s Vilejka district, is on a closed-door trial in Minsk and faces charges of high treason, katolik.life said. The priest has been …
