Priest Anatol Parakhnevich, the priest of the Roman Catholic parish in Alkovichy, Vialeika district, suffered a heart attack while in prison and was later sentenced in a criminal case.
The trial did not take place in Minsk, as previously reported, but in the Vialeika district, specifically in the village of Alkovichy, where Anatol Parakhnevich served as a priest.
According to the portal Katolik.life, which focuses on Catholic believers in Belarus, the court issued the verdict in October.
All trial sessions were held in closed court, and no one was allowed in the courtroom. Ultimately, the priest was sentenced to three years in prison and imposed a substantial fine.
Despite the authorities' efforts to obscure this political trial, the community discovered that Parakhnevich was charged not with "treason" but under a different article of the law.
"Authorities were unable to convict the 66-year-old priest of the original charge of treason, likely due to a lack of evidence. They later changed the charge to a milder one. According to the information received, the priest faced accusations of insulting the authorities and extremism," as reported by the source.
The details of the case remain unclear. Believers have said even the Curia leadership is unaware of the specific accusations against the priest.
The priest has not pleaded guilty and believes that the court's decision is unfair, which is why he is appealing it. According to reports, parishioners have rallied in support of their priest and written a collective appeal for his release.
Anatol Parakhnevich was detained in March when several masked individuals arrived at his location in multiple cars. Authorities subsequently sealed the Catholic priest's building. According to "Christian Vision," he has been under scrutiny and targeted by propaganda efforts since at least 2022.
Some believers speculate that the grounds for the criminal prosecution may be linked to Parakhnevich's activities honoring the memory of Polish citizens who died in what is now Belarus. However, this information has not been officially confirmed.
The priest suffered a heart attack, reportedly in April while in prison, and it was believed at the time that he was being held in a KGB detention center.