{"id":195181,"date":"2026-07-10T13:42:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T10:42:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/195181\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T13:42:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T10:42:46","slug":"interior-ministry-brands-greek-catholic-priest-17-others-as-extremists","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/195181\/","title":{"rendered":"Interior ministry brands Greek Catholic priest, 17 others as \u201cextremists\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (pixabay.com)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

July 10, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Belarus\u2019 interior ministry has added 18 new names to its list of people it considers \u201cinvolved in extremist activities,\u201d taking the total to 6,772 entries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four of them are reportedly serving sentences, including Alaksandar A\u016ddzievi\u010d, Maryja Pasko\u016dskaja, Iryna Mil\u010danina and Pavie\u0142 Anufrej\u010dyk. Charges against them ranged from inciting hatred and insulting Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka to facilitating extremist activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sentences of 14 blacklisted persons remain incomplete, which means that they may be serving non-custodial terms. One of them is Greek Catholic priest Vital Bystro\u016d sentenced to two and a half years of restricted freedom in home confinement for allegedly sharing information with the now-defunct Bie\u0142aruski Hajun project that monitored Russian military activities in Belarus between 2022 and 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the past, Bystro\u016d had also faced politically-motivated persecution. In 2020, he was jailed for 10 days, according to Chry\u015bcijanskaja Vizija. Pressure on the Greek Catholic parish in Ivacevi\u010dy, Brest region, also prevented him from completing its re-registration, ultimately forcing him to dissolve the parish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other blacklisted persons are Danat Da\u0161ko\u016dski, Nina Hniad\u017ako, U\u0142adzimir Ma\u0142a\u0161ka, D\u017amitryj Litvin, Juryj Maciajkovi\u010d, Elvira Iljina, Alaksandra \u010cachovi\u010d, Alena Varonina, Mikita \u0160\u010du\u010dka, Alena \u0141azickaja, \u017dana Sierada, Michai\u0142 Vaha and Darja Alaksiejkava.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People placed on the list of individuals involved in extremist activities are banned from any education- and publishing-related activity, as well as from holding state positions and from doing military service, for five years after completing their sentences or after the related conviction is deleted from the criminal record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their financial transactions are subject to close monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the crackdown on the 2020 postelection protests, authorities in Belarus equated criticism, solidarity, advocacy, the free media and free expression to extremism and terrorism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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