Father Anatol Parakhnevich, parish priest of the Roman Catholic parish in Alkovichy, Vileika District, has been convicted in a criminal case. This was reported by the “Catholics of Belarus” community.
According to information obtained by Catholic believers in Belarus, the sentence was handed down in October (the exact date is unknown), and the trial took place at the Vileika District Court, rather than in Minsk as previously reported. There has been no official announcement.
The hearings were held behind closed doors, so no one was allowed into the courtroom and the substance of the case remains unknown. According to believers, even the leadership of the Curia has no information about the precise charges brought against the priest.
However, believers learned that the 66-year-old priest could not be convicted on the original charge of “treason” (apparently, no evidence was found), and the charge was changed to a less serious one. According to the information received, the priest was charged with “insulting the authorities and extremism” and sentenced to 3 years in prison and a large fine.
The priest refused to admit guilt and considers the sentence unjust. This follows from the fact that he has appealed the sentence, as believers have learned.
There are also reports that parishioners spoke up for their parish priest and wrote a collective appeal asking for his release.
As a reminder, he was detained in mid-March 2026 and has been in custody ever since.
