A Catholic priest in Belarus, Rev. Henrykh Akalatovich, was convicted of high treason on Monday and sentenced to 11 years in prison for criticizing the government, marking an unprecedented case of politically-driven charges against Catholic clergy in the nation since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The verdict against Akalatovich comes as Belarusian authorities intensify a sweeping crackdown on dissent ahead of the January 26 presidential election, widely expected to extend the nearly three-decade rule of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko for a seventh term.
The Viasna Human Rights Centre reported that Akalatovich, 64, denied the treason charges and listed him among 1,265 political prisoners currently detained in Belarus.
“For the first time since the fall of the Communist regime, a Catholic priest in Belarus was convicted on criminal charges typically used against political prisoners,” said Pavel Sapelka, a representative of Viasna. “The harsh sentence is a calculated move to intimidate and silence clergy ahead of January’s presidential election.”
Akalatovich, a priest from the town of Valozhyn in western Belarus, has been in custody since November 2023. His arrest came shortly after he underwent surgery for cancer, and he has been held incommunicado, with prison officials refusing to deliver warm clothing and food sent to him. Known for his critical sermons, Akalatovich’s case reflects a broader campaign of repression against clergy across denominations who oppose the regime.
The priest is among dozens of Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant clergy who have faced imprisonment, silencing, or exile for protesting the contested 2020 election that secured Lukashenko’s sixth term. The disputed vote, widely condemned by the opposition and Western governments as fraudulent, sparked massive protests. Authorities responded with a brutal crackdown, arresting over 65,000 people and subjecting thousands to police brutality.
Clergy who supported the protests or offered sanctuary to demonstrators in their churches have been specifically targeted. The regime has summoned religious leaders for “preventive” political talks, scrutinized sermons, and monitored their online presence.
While Orthodox Christians comprise 80% of Belarus’s population, Catholics represent 14%, and Protestants account for 2%. Lukashenko, who identifies as an “Orthodox atheist,” has frequently criticized dissident clergy, accusing them of stirring unrest during the 2020 protests and urging them to “do their jobs.”
Lukashenko remains a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowing Belarus to serve as a staging ground for Russian military operations in Ukraine and hosting Russian tactical nuclear weapons since 2022.
The conviction of Akalatovich underscores the increasing weaponization of the judiciary against perceived dissent in Belarus, including religious leaders, ahead of a critical election that promises to cement Lukashenko’s hold on power. (With reports from AP)