Criminal case opened against jailed Orthodox Christian priest

December 9, BPN. Belarusian investigators have opened a criminal case against jailed Orthodox Christian priest Uładzisłaŭ Bahamolnikaŭ, the Chryścijanskaja Vizija advocacy group reports. They suspect him of organization of/active participation in group actions grossly disturbing public order.

“Since August 31, he spent a total of 100 days at Akreścina [detention center],” the group said. “The detention conditions were torturous, in an overcrowded cell, without access to medical care, without parcels and correspondence.”

Bahamolnikaŭ was among those who served a 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.

Police arrested the 42-year-old priest on August 31 after breaking into his Minsk apartment.

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 for ending the persecution of Orthodox priests.