The priest will go to prison. Lukashenko's regime accused him of "insulting the authorities and extremism"

Fr. Parachniewicz was detained in mid-March. Initially, he was accused of "high treason", but the qualification was eventually changed to a milder one. He spent his 66th birthday and the 31st anniversary of his priestly ordination in custody.

A priest considered a political prisoner

Although the verdict was passed in October, it was announced only now. It is not clear what exactly the priest was accused of, because the trial took place behind closed doors.

The Wiasna Human Rights Center and human rights activists associated with it officially included the priest on the list of political prisoners.

Repression for contacts with Polish institutions

According to independent sources cited in October by the website of Poles in Belarus - ZnadNiemna, the priest could have attracted the attention of the authorities by attending a reception on the occasion of the Constitution Day on May 3, organized at the Polish embassy in Minsk. Similar contacts with Polish institutions have previously been used as a pretext for repression against the clergy.

Fr. Parachniewicz has been the parish priest in Olkowicze since 2007. Previously, he worked in Raków and Zasław, and completed his priestly formation in Białystok. The priest was also involved in the protection of local heritage - he created a small museum next to the church, where he collected, among others, antique liturgical vestments, folk tapestries and old books.