{"id":133468,"date":"2025-04-08T17:49:42","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T14:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/133468\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"catholic-priest-denies-spying-for-poland-vatican-in-a-message-from-prison","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/133468\/","title":{"rendered":"Catholic priest denies spying for Poland, Vatican in a message from prison"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

April 8, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Catholic priest Hienrych Aka\u0142atovi\u010d, serving an 11-year prison term on high treason charges, said he was persecuted for alleged \u201cespionage for Poland and the Vatican,\u201d katolik.life reports, citing his recent message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The priest, who has turned 65 today, described the case against him as a \u201cblatant provocation,\u201d denying ever being a spy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPriests are persecuted to silence them and prevent the Catholic Church from telling the truth,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aka\u0142atovi\u010d, a parish priest from Va\u0142o\u017eyn, Minsk region, has health issues, including an earlier heart attack and a cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judge U\u0142adzimir Are\u0161ka tried him behind closed doors in late 2024. No episcopate or Vatican embassy representatives were present at the trial. Aka\u0142atovi\u010d reportedly had been held for more than one year at the Committee for State Security (KGB) detention center after his arrest, while authorities did not disclose any details about his trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The media reported that he was accused of leaking sensitive information to unnamed people. Investigators assessed the damage at about 1 million rubels (more than $300,000).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Chry\u015bcijanskaja Vizija human rights group, at least 32 Catholic priests were persecuted in Belarus between the fall of 2020 and late March 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, commentators assume that Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka wants to use the Holy See as a platform to engage with the West, citing Minsk\u2019s intention to open the Belarusian embassy in the Vatican this year and the recent appointment of senior diplomat Juryj Amrazievi\u010d as an ambassador to the Holy See.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also read: Roman Catholic priest sentenced to 11 years on treason charges<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

April 8, Pozirk. Catholic priest Hienrych Aka\u0142atovi\u010d, serving an 11-year prison term on high treason charges, said he was persecuted for alleged \u201cespionage for Poland and the Vatican,\u201d katolik.life reports, citing his recent message. The priest, who has turned 65 today, described the case against him as a \u201cblatant provocation,\u201d denying ever being a spy. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":60912,"template":"","rubric":[14],"class_list":["post-133468","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCatholic priest denies spying for Poland, Vatican in a message from prison | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"April 8, Pozirk. 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