by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
MINSK/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – A Catholic priest in Belarus has been sentenced to three years in prison following a closed-door trial, after spending more than seven months in detention while initially under investigation on treason charges, religious freedom advocates said Thursday.
Priest Anatol Parakhnevich, 66, was sentenced in October by a court in the Minsk region, although authorities have refused to disclose the precise charges or explain the verdict.
Masked security officers, believed to be from Belarus’s KGB secret police, arrested the priest on March 16 after searching his home and church in the village of Alkovichi, where he had served since 2007, according to sources familiar with the case.
Investigators initially prepared a treason case carrying a prison sentence of seven to 15 years.
However, religious freedom advocates believe he was ultimately convicted under lesser provisions involving discrediting Belarus, insulting officials, or supporting extremist activities. The exact charges remain unconfirmed.
PRIEST FINED
The priest was also fined 2,250 Belarusian rubles (about $755), roughly three weeks’ average wages.
Religious freedom watchdog Forum 18 reported that a court official refused to explain the conviction. Asked why information could not be provided, she replied: “It is forbidden.”
Belarus’s senior religious affairs official, Oleg Dyachenko, also ended a telephone conversation when Forum 18 questioned him about the prosecution and earlier criminal cases against Catholic priests.
An official at Minsk Regional Court confirmed Wednesday to Forum 18 that Parakhnevich had appealed his sentence, although the appeal had not yet reached the court.
CHURCH LEADERS SILENT
Catholic Church spokesperson priest Yuri Yasevich confirmed that Church leaders were aware of the conviction and appeal but had issued no official statement, amid a broader reported crackdown on religious freedom and government critics in Belarus.
The priest’s whereabouts remain officially undisclosed, although parishioners believe he is being held at the KGB investigation prison in Minsk, the capital.
Parakhnevich’s imprisonment follows several prosecutions of Catholic clergy under the government of President Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994 and remains in power following a disputed presidential election in January 2025.
Two other Catholic priests, Henryk Okolotovich and Andrei Yukhnevich, received prison sentences of 11 and 13 years respectively before being pardoned and flown to Rome in November 2025, Worthy News learned.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONCERNS
Belarus has tightened restrictions on religious communities under legislation introduced in July 2024, requiring congregations to seek renewed state registration.
In a September report, United Nations human rights experts accused Belarus’s judiciary of systematically violating fair-trial rights in politically sensitive cases.
Parakhnevich, who previously spoke out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has denied the accusations against him.
Parishioners have submitted a collective appeal demanding his release.
Three human rights organizations, including Viasna, designated him a political prisoner on June 1, citing serious violations of international legal standards.
The case adds to international concerns about religious freedom in Belarus, where authorities continue to restrict independent Christian activities and prosecute critics of the government.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
