{"id":170618,"date":"2026-01-05T22:24:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T19:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/170618\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"reprisals-charges-against-exiled-priest-terrorist-designations","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/170618\/","title":{"rendered":"Reprisals: charges against exiled priest, terrorist designations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

January<\/strong> 5, <\/strong>Pozirk<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/strong> New instances of politically motivated persecution were reported in the first five days of January, including an extremism case against an exiled priest and terrorist designations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities in Minsk have opened an extremism-related case against exiled priest Alaksandar Kuchta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kuchta, a former Russian Orthodox Church priest who fled Belarus fearing persecution over his criticism of the government and Russia\u2019s war against Ukraine, said he faces charges of recruiting and involving other in extremist activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kuchta joined the Church of Constantinople\u2014the spiritual center and symbolic headquarters of the Eastern Orthodox Church, headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I\u2014in April 2023, after he had been banned from priesthood by the Belarusian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church for leaving his parish without permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kuchta and Heorhi Roj, another exiled priest, founded a Belarusian parish of the Church of Constantinople in Vilnius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus\u2019 Committee for State Security (KGB) has designated two men\u2014considered political prisoners by human rights groups\u2014as terrorists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksiej La\u016dkovi\u010d, a Rada\u0161kovi\u010dy-born graduate of Belarusian State Technological University, was convicted of inciting social hatred, and Pavie\u0142 \u0160arko, was convicted of establishing and being a member of a terrorist group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, authorities labeled 2,107 online and other items as extremist content and 67 initiatives and media outlets as extremist groups, reported the Viasna Human Rights Center.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On January 5, human rights defenders listed identified at least 1,131 political prisoners. The real number is considerably higher because of many undocumented cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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