In October, at the end of a closed trial, Vileika District Court in Minsk Region jailed 66-year-old Catholic priest Fr Anatol Parakhnevich for three years. The Judge also fined him 3 weeks' average wage. He has already spent more than 7 months in detention since masked officers – apparently from the KGB secret police - searched his home and church in mid-March and arrested him. Minsk Regional Court says Fr Parakhnevich has appealed, but the appeal has not yet reached the Regional Court.

Investigators initially prepared a criminal case against Fr Parakhnevich on charges of treason. These carry a punishment of imprisonment of between 7 years and life, or the death penalty. However, the Judge appears to have convicted him of "insulting official representatives" and/or "supporting extremist activity". Officials refuse to give any information on the case (see below).

A chancellery official at Vileika District Court refused to give any information about Fr Parakhnevich's sentence. "We give no information by telephone," she told Forum 18. Asked why not, she responded: "It is forbidden." She then put the phone down (see below).

Telephones at Minsk City and Region KGB went unanswered each time Forum 18 called (see below).

Forum 18 asked the senior religious affairs official, Plenipotentiary for Religious and Ethnic Affairs Oleg Dyachenko, why the court jailed Fr Parakhnevich and why criminal cases were brought earlier against other Catholic priests. He put the phone down. Subsequent calls went unanswered. (Dyachenko has held the post since September.) Other officials in his office did not answer the phone (see below).

The independent Catholic news outlet Katolik.life, which has been following the case, cited local church members on the sentence. It noted that the exact date of the sentence is not known. "The hearings were held behind closed doors; no one was permitted to enter the courtroom, and the nature of the case remains unknown. According to church members, even the leadership of the Curia does not have information regarding the specific charges brought against the priest" (see below).

"The trial was closed and the substance of the charges remains unknown," the Christian Vision group, which documents violations of freedom of religion or belief and other human rights, noted. "But it is clear that it was not 'treason', which they had accused Fr Parakhnevich of earlier, as this prescribes a minimum sentence of 7 years' imprisonment" (see below).

(The regime has declared to be "extremist" the social media sites and logo of the Christian Vision group. The regime has similarly listed Katolik.life's website and social media channels as "extremist".)

In a September report, the UN Group of Independent Experts on the Situation of Human Rights in Belarus condemned the way "trials against individuals critical of or perceived as critical of the Government" proceed. It warned that "the judiciary has systematically violated fair trial rights, including the rights to equality of arms, to have a counsel of his/her choice, to have adequate time and facilities to prepare defence, to be tried without undue delay, to a fair and public hearing, and to the presumption of innocence" (see below).

Officials have not revealed where Fr Parakhnevich is being held. Church members believe he is in the KGB Investigation Prison in Minsk. Forum 18 was unable to find out as the prison lists no number, and telephones at Minsk City and Region KGB went unanswered. The duty officer at Minsk Investigation Prison No. 1 – which is run by the Interior Ministry – said that officials would not say whether or not an individual is being held there (see below).

Fr Yuri Yasevich, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops' Conference, said the Church leadership is aware of Fr Parakhnevich's sentence and that he has lodged an appeal. He added that the Church has issued no official statement on the trial and conviction (see below).

On 16 June, Minsk City Court rejected the appeal by Yevgeny Shvedov, a 38-year-old Jehovah's Witness from Minsk, against his conviction for refusing reserve military duties on grounds of conscience. He lodged a cassational appeal. Minsk's Pervomaisky District Court had found Shvedov guilty in April and sentenced him to 6 months' correctional labour, with 20 per cent of his wages withheld by the state (see below).

UN criticism of judicial processes

The United Nations Group of Independent Experts on the Situation of Human Rights in Belarus issued sharp criticism in a report on "the involvement of Belarusian State institutions in human rights violations in the criminal justice process". The report (A/HRC/63/CRP.1) was made public on 14 September.

"In the trials against individuals critical of or perceived as critical of the Government," the Group of Independent Experts' report noted, "the judiciary has systematically violated fair trial rights, including the rights to equality of arms, to have a counsel of his/her choice, to have adequate time and facilities to prepare defence, to be tried without undue delay, to a fair and public hearing, and to the presumption of innocence, as well as the guarantees of the independence and impartiality of tribunals."

New senior state religious affairs official

The regime's control of religious communities tightened still further following the entry into force in July 2024 of a new Religion Law. Exercise of freedom of religion or belief without state permission remains banned. All registered religious communities were required to submit re-registration applications by 5 July 2025. Officials have refused to give detailed figures for how many religious communities have and have not received the compulsory re-registration.

The most senior state official controlling religious life is the Plenipotentiary for Religious and Ethnic Affairs. A legal amendment of 15 July 2026 transferred oversight over the Plenipotentiary from the Council of Ministers directly to the President. On 28 September 2026, Aleksandr Lukashenko removed Aleksandr Rumak (who had held the post since December 2020) and named Oleg Dyachenko as the new Plenipotentiary.

Dyachenko is a scholar of religion who defended his dissertation on the Pentecostal movement in Belarus, Christian Vision noted after his September 2026 appointment. "Furthermore, he has long been an insider when it comes to state control over the religious sphere: he previously chaired the expert council under the Plenipotentiary for Religious and Ethnic Affairs. He also served on a commission for the Mogilev Regional Executive Committee tasked with identifying signs of 'extremism' in publications."

In recent years, officials of the Plenipotentiary's Office have absolutely refused to answer any of Forum 18's questions. "I will give no commentaries," is their standard response.

Repeated targeting of Catholic priests

The jailing of Catholic parish priest Fr Anatol Parakhnevich is the latest in a series of such jailings.

Fr Vladislav Lazar was arrested in May 2013 on treason charges. The KGB secret police suddenly released him from its detention centre in Minsk in December 2013 to be transferred to house arrest. The criminal investigation against him was only later dropped.

Fr Henryk Okolotovich was arrested in November 2023 and jailed at a closed trial in December 2024 for 11 years on treason charges. Fr Andrei Yukhnevich was arrested in May 2024 and jailed at a closed trial in April 2025 for 13 years on accusations of sexual abuse of a minor or minors, accusations his supporters say were fabricated. Lukashenko pardoned the two. They were freed from labour camp in November 2025, taken to the nunciature in the capital Minsk and then to the airport the same day and flown to Rome. It seems they are not allowed to return to serve in Belarus.

Two decades' parish service

Fr Anatol Yevgenyevich Parakhnevich (born in Belarus 16 June 1960) – who grew up an orphan - gained his religious education in the Polish city of Bialystok. He was ordained a Catholic priest in June 1995, and served in parishes in Rakov and Zaslavl, in Minsk Region.

Fr Parakhnevich has been priest of the parish of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the small village of Alkovichi in Vileika District of Minsk Region since 2007. He also founded a small museum attached to the church.

On 19 June 2020, the local news website Shlyakh Peramogi (Path of Victory) published a positive article about Fr Parakhnevich. It described him as a "shepherd of human souls, historian and collector of antiquities".

On 2 March 2022, Ash Wednesday, Fr Parakhnevich spoke out against Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which had begun a week earlier.

On 22 May 2022, a hostile article in News.by said that Fr Parakhnevich had been among attendees at a "secret" event to mark Poland's Constitution Day (3 May). The event had been organised by the Polish embassy in Minsk which, "strangely", decided to hold it at the Ukrainian embassy.

Arrest

Masked security officers arrested Fr Anatol Parakhnevich in Alkovichi on 16 March 2026. That morning, several cars arrived to detain him. "All the officials were wearing masks - they left only in the evening," Viasna noted on 23 March. "The priest's house was sealed, the security forces also searched for something in the church. The faithful cannot enter the church because they do not have keys."

Officials took the keys of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Alkovichi during the raids and searches. Parishioners were unable to gain access to the church on Sunday 22 March and Mass could not be celebrated. Soon afterwards, officials returned the keys and allowed the church to be used once again. A visiting priest later celebrated Masses there for local villagers. Fr Parakhnevich's home in Alkovichi remained sealed for some weeks.

Fr Parakhnevich was held from his 16 March arrest. This included the period of Holy Week running up to Easter (which Catholics celebrated on 5 April). This is the holiest part of the year for Christians.

"We don't know where he is being held"

Officials gave Fr Anatol Parakhnevich's parishioners no information about why he was arrested or where he was being held.

Soon after Fr Parakhnevich's arrest, the Minsk-Mogilev Archdiocese sent a statement to diocesan priests about his case, Christian Vision noted on 23 March. "According to information received from the faithful of the parish of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Alkovichi, Vileika Deanery, since 17 March 2026, the parish priest Fr Anatol Parakhnevich has been absent, the house where the priest lived is sealed with KGB seals," the statement noted.

"On Sunday 22 March 2026, the church was closed and Holy Mass was not celebrated. There is no official information regarding the whereabouts of Fr Anatol Parakhnevich in the Curia to this day." The Archdiocese asked the priests to pray in connection with the situation.

Fr Yuri Yasevich, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops' Conference, said the Church had no information about Fr Parakhnevich's case. "We know he was detained and his home was sealed, but we don't know where he is being held or what any accusations against him might be," he told Forum 18 from Minsk in April.

"The priest has been behind bars for over two weeks, and it's unclear why he was detained or what he's accused of," Katolik.life noted on 7 April. "There has been no official statement from the Catholic Church on this matter. Priests are not telling the faithful about their brother's fate, and some note that there is, indeed, no information about the parish priest in Alkovichi. Perhaps the bishops know something, but they are not sharing it."

"He has no relatives, so no one – apart from the bishops – can find anything out about him," Katolik.life lamented.

(In July 2024, the Information Ministry listed Katolik.life as "extremist". In August 2024, a court in Minsk Region declared Katolik.life's Telegram channel "extremist". One month later, the Inspectorate for Supervision of Telecommunications blocked access in Belarus to the Telegram channel on the basis of the Information Ministry's decision. In August 2025, by decision of Grodno's Lenin District Court, the Information Ministry added all Katolik.life's social media pages to the list of "extremist materials".)

Officials give no information

Over the following months, officials gave no public information about why they had arrested Fr Anatol Parakhnevich and what charges (if any) he might face. Some speculated that he was being held at the KGB secret police's Investigation Prison in Minsk.

The listed number for the Minsk City and Region KGB went unanswered each time Forum 18 called in April.

Olga Topdemir is head of Minsk Region Administration's Ideology and Youth Chief Directorate, one of whose duties is controlling religion. Forum 18 asked her in April why officials had arrested Fr Parakhnevich. "I don't know what you want from me," she said and then put the phone down.

Forum 18's questions to the police in April about Fr Parakhnevich remained unanswered, including from the duty officer at Vileika District Police and the Information Department of Minsk Region Police.

Told that Forum 18 had been unable to find out why Fr Parakhnevich had been arrested, Andrei Aryayev, the Head of the Religious Department of the Office of the Plenipotentiary for Religious and Ethnic Affairs, told Forum 18 in April: "I don't have any information either." He then put the phone down.

Treason charges

During summer 2026, investigators appear to have been preparing charges of treason against Fr Anatol Parakhnevich under Criminal Code Article 356. This carries a punishment of imprisonment of between 7 years and life, or the death penalty.

On 1 June, while he was in pre-trial detention, three human rights groups, including Viasna (Spring), declared Fr Parakhnevich a political prisoner. They spoke of his detention "with crude violations of international standards and the right to a fair trial" and called for his release.

(In August 2023, the Interior Ministry labelled Viasna an "extremist formation" and banned its activities including its website and many of its other social media, adding the group to the "List of organisations, formations and individual entrepreneurs linked to extremist activities".)

Priest's 3-year jail sentence at closed trial

Prosecutors handed the criminal case against Fr Anatol Parakhnevich to Vileika District Court in Minsk Region. He denied the accusations against him. The trial was closed and no information reached Catholic church leaders or his parishioners. In October, at the end of the trial, the Judge jailed Fr Parakhnevich for three years, Katolik.life noted on 3 November, citing church members.

The Judge also fined Fr Parakhnevich 50 Base Units, 2,250 Belarusian Roubles, Christian Vision noted the same day. The fine represents about 3 weeks' average wages.

The original case against Fr Parakhnevich on charges of treason appears to have been changed. "They couldn't sentence him for that (most likely they could not find proof) and changed the [Criminal Code] Article to a milder one," Katolik.life said.

The Judge appears to have sentenced Fr Parakhnevich under Criminal Code Article 369 ("Insulting official representatives") and Article 361-4 ("Supporting extremist activity").

Katolik.life, which has been following the case, noted that "Officially, nothing has been reported about it." It added that the exact date of the sentence is not known. "The hearings were held behind closed doors; no one was permitted to enter the courtroom, and the nature of the case remains unknown. According to church members, even the leadership of the Curia does not have information regarding the specific charges brought against the priest."

"The trial was closed and the substance of the charges remains unknown," Christian Vision noted. "But it is clear that it was not 'treason', which they had accused Fr Parakhnevich of earlier, as this prescribes a minimum sentence of 7 years' imprisonment."

A chancellery official at Vileika District Court (who did not give her name) refused to give any information about Fr Parakhnevich's sentence. "We give no information by telephone," she told Forum 18 on 3 November. Asked why not, she responded: "It is forbidden." She then put the phone down.

Telephones at Minsk City and Region KGB went unanswered each time Forum 18 called on 4 November.

Forum 18 asked the senior religious affairs official, Plenipotentiary for Religious and Ethnic Affairs Oleg Dyachenko, on 3 November why the court jailed Fr Parakhnevich and why other criminal cases were brought earlier against other Catholic priests. He put the phone down. Subsequent calls went unanswered. Other officials in his office did not answer the phone the same day.

Priest's appeal, parish support

An official at Minsk Regional Court (who did not give her name) told Forum 18 on 4 November that Fr Anatol Parakhnevich has lodged an appeal against his 3-year sentence. She added that Vileika District Court has not yet sent it through to the Regional Court.

Fr Yuri Yasevich, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops' Conference, told Forum 18 on 4 November that the Church leadership is aware of Fr Parakhnevich's sentence and that he has lodged an appeal. He added that the Church has issued no official statement on the trial and conviction.

"Parishioners have spoken up for their priest and written a collective appeal with a call for his release," Katolik.life noted on 3 November.

Officials have not revealed where Fr Parakhnevich is being held. Church members believe he is in the KGB Investigation Prison in Minsk. Forum 18 was unable to find out as the prison lists no number, and telephones at Minsk City and Region KGB went unanswered on 4 November. The duty officer at Minsk Investigation Prison No. 1 – which is run by the Interior Ministry – said the same day that officials would not say whether or not an individual is being held there.

Conscientious objector convicted after refusing reserve duties

Yevgeny Shvedov, a Jehovah's Witness from Minsk, has been criminally convicted for refusing to participate in military training for reservists on grounds of conscience. He applied for exemption again when called to reserve duties in September 2025. But with no response he went to the assembly point on 7 October 2025, where he again set out his position. After being verbally refused exemption, officials called the police.

Jehovah's Witnesses are conscientious objectors to military service and do not undertake any kind of activity supporting any country's military. But they are willing to undertake an alternative, totally civilian form of service, as is the right of all conscientious objectors to military service under international human rights law.

"Before this conviction, Shvedov had successfully obtained exemptions from reservist training on religious grounds in April and May 2023 and August 2025," Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18. "However, when he again sought exemption in September 2025, authorities reversed course, denied his application, and initiated criminal proceedings after he refused to comply."

Officials initiated criminal proceedings against Shvedov on 3 December 2025 under Criminal Code Article 436, Part 1. This punishes a reservist or someone due for duty who fails to report for such duty with community work, a fine, up to one year's correctional labour or imprisonment of between one and three months.

On 13 April 2026, Minsk's Pervomaisky District Court found the 38-year-old Shvedov guilty and sentenced him to 6 months' correctional labour, with 20 per cent of his wages withheld by the state, Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18.

On 22 April, Shvedov lodged an appeal. On 16 June, Minsk City Court rejected the appeal and the verdict went into force. He lodged a cassational appeal. He also lodged a suit challenging the original call-up decision.

"Belarus formally introduced alternative civilian service only after Shvedov had exceeded the age at which he could benefit from it," Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18. "As a result, despite his consistent religious objection to military service, he was left without any lawful alternative and later prosecuted for refusing military obligations that conflict with his beliefs."

Belarus used to jail conscientious objectors. The Alternative Service Law came into force on 1 July 2016. The Law for the first time allowed an alternative civilian service for some, but not all, conscientious objectors. Only young men with a religious pacifist objection are eligible to apply, not those with non-religious pacifist convictions. And if conscripts already doing military service change their beliefs to become conscientious objectors, they are not eligible for alternative service.

Prosecutions continued of conscientious objectors called for reserve duties. A court in Pinsk fined Jehovah's Witness Dmitry Mozol four months' average wages in February 2021 for refusing on grounds of conscience to undergo nearly four weeks of reservist military training. He then lodged a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee in November 2021. The complaint is still pending with the UN Committee. (END)

More reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Belarus

For background information, see Forum 18's Belarus religious freedom survey

Forum 18's compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments

Follow us on Bluesky @Forum18

Follow us on Facebook @Forum18NewsService

Follow us on Telegram @Forum18NewsService

Follow us on WhatsApp Forum 18

Follow us on X/Twitter @Forum_18

All Forum 18 material may be referred to, quoted from, or republished in full, if Forum 18 is credited as the source.

All photographs that are not Forum 18's copyright are attributed to the copyright owner. If you reuse any photographs from Forum 18's website, you must seek permission for any reuse from the copyright owner or abide by the copyright terms the copyright owner has chosen.

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855.