Orthodox Christian priest gets sixth consecutive jail term

November 14, BPN. A judge sentenced Orthodox Christian priest Uładzisłaŭ Bahamolnikaŭ to 15 more days behind bars, the Chryścijanskaja Vizija group reports. This is his sixth consecutive jail term

Police arrested the 42-year-old priest on August 31 after breaking into his Minsk apartment. The charges remain unclear. He has been held in a detention center on Akreścina Street in Minsk for 74 days. Human rights defenders say the jail does not meet proper hygiene standards. It does not have bedding or accept parcels of food and clean clothes.

From people who were arrested together with the priest, the Christian group learned that he is in “a cheerful mood” in spite of the ban on packages and correspondence. “He has conversations with his fellow inmates and supports them,” it said.

On September 1, Chryścijanskaja Vizija called upon the Russian Orthodox spiritual leader in Belarus, metropolitan Vienijamin, to do everything possible for the immediate release of Bahamolnikaŭ and the stoppage of persecution of Orthodox priests.

Bahamolnikaŭ was among those who served the funeral mass for opposition activist Raman Bandarenka, who died while in police custody after being beaten by unknown men in 2020. He also went on a hunger strike in support of blogger Ihar Losik, imprisoned on politically-motivated charges.

Bahamolnikaŭ has a degree in theology and serves at the parish of the Minsk Epiphany Church, currently under construction. He is also in charge of a historical museum of the Belarusian Orthodox Church and is a member of the Minsk Diocesan Court.