For the first time since Belarus became independent, a Catholic priest has been convicted on politically-driven charges.
Rev Henrykh Akalatovich was sentenced to eleven years for high treason after criticising the government in his sermons, a move rights groups are calling an effort to intimidate dissent ahead of the January presidential election.
Despite rejecting the charges, Akalatovich has faced harsh treatment in custody, and his case highlights the broader crackdown on religious leaders critical of President Lukashenko’s regime since the disputed 2020 election.
The 64-year-old was arrested in November 2023 and has been held incommunicado ever since. Despite being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing surgery just before his arrest, he has been denied access to warm clothing and food sent by supporters.
The Viasna Human Rights Centre, which has listed Akalatovich among the 1,265 political prisoners in Belarus, said that he rejected the charges of treason, which he believes were fabricated to silence his criticism of the government.
The harsh sentence is seen as an effort to intimidate other religious leaders and activists ahead of the elections. Viasna's representative, Pavel Sapelka, said that this is the first time since the fall of the Communist regime that a Catholic priest in Belarus has been convicted on charges typically levied against political prisoners.
Akalatovich's case highlights the ongoing repression of clergy across different denominations, with many Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant leaders targeted for their support of protests against Lukashenko’s disputed 2020 election victory, which triggered mass demonstrations and a violent crackdown.
Belarusian authorities have been actively monitoring religious leaders, summoning them for “preventive” political talks, scrutinising their websites and social media activity, and even deploying security services to monitor their sermons. This is especially troubling for religious communities in Belarus, where Orthodox Christians make up around 80 per cent of the population, while Catholics account for just under 14 per cent and Protestants around 2 per cent.