In neighboring Russia, Belarus guarantees freedom of religion in its constitution. However, as observed in many former Soviet Union countries, this right is often severely restricted in practice. Such was the case this week when a Catholic priest in Belarus was convicted on charges of high treason for criticizing the government and handed an 11-year sentence, marking the first instance of politically motivated charges against Catholic clergy since Belarus became independent in the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Rev. Henrykh Akalatovich’s conviction and sentencing occur as Belarusian authorities intensify their extensive crackdown on dissent ahead of the Jan. 26 presidential election, which is almost certain to secure a seventh term for authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.
The Viasna Human Rights Center reported that Akalatovich, 64, denied the treason allegations. This organization has included him in a count of 1,265 political prisoners country.
“For the first time since the fall of the Communist regime, a Catholic priest in Belarus was convicted on criminal charges that are leveled against political prisoners. The harsh sentence is intended to intimidate and silence hundreds of other priests ahead of January’s presidential election.”
Akalatovich has been imprisoned since November 2023. The priest, known for his critical sermons against the government, has been kept incommunicado, with prison officials refusing warm clothing and food sent to him.
Arkatovich joins numerous clergy from Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant backgrounds who have faced imprisonment, censorship, or exile for opposing the 2020 election that awarded Lukashenko a sixth term. The disputed vote, which was deemed fraudulent by the opposition and Western nations, ignited widespread protests. In response, authorities initiated an extensive crackdown, resulting in over 65,000 arrests and thousands beaten by police.
Clergy from both Catholic and Protestant backgrounds who supported the protests and provided refuge to demonstrators in their churches faced increased repression. The Belarusian authorities openly seek to bring the clergy into compliance, repeatedly summoning them for “preventive” political discussions, scrutinizing websites and social media, and having security services monitor sermons.
For nearly three decades, Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus. He describes himself as an “Orthodox atheist’ and criticized dissenting clergy during the 2020 protests, urging them to “do their jobs’ instead of inciting unrest unrest.
Lukashenko is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, permitting Russia to use his country’s territory to send troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and to position some of its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.