Religious groups raided, threatened

Religious communities in various parts of Belarus have faced raids and threats for holding meetings deemed illegal by officials.

In January, officials threatened to strip a pastor's congregation of state registration after he held a service for disabled Christians at a church-owned home in a village in Brest Region rather than the church's main building in a nearby town. Officials said that the pastor had violated the law by conducting a religious service away from the congregation's legal address without first receiving permission from authorities.

In February, police in the capital city of Minsk launched a mass raid at a pastor's home where believers had gathered for a meeting. Thirty-four participants were taken to a police station, but were released two hours later without any explanation and without any official record being drawn up.

Please pray believers will be encouraged to continue to meet together despite opposition (Hebrews 10:23-25). Ask the Lord to strengthen His church in Belarus and add to its number and faithfulness. Pray for wisdom for pastors and church leaders in Belarus.

Go to the Belarus Country Report for more information on the trials believers face in Belarus.

Select a Region

Belarus News

  • Supreme Court Denies Churches Legal Status
    People are gathered at the door of a building in a Greek Catholic parish.
    A Greek Catholic Parish.
    Photo: Katolik.life

    Churches in Belarus continue to encounter increasing pressures under a new religion law that came into effect in July 2024. The legislation requires all churches to undergo re-registration, including those that had previously been approved by the government. As a result, three Greek Catholic parishes that were originally registered in the 1990s have had their applications rejected.

    Read more...

  • Another Church Leader Arrested
    The priest Anatol Parakhnevich is raising a communion cup.
    Father Anatol Parakhnevich
    Photo: Katolik.life
     

    On March 16th, masked security officials arrested Anatol Parakhnevich, a 65-year-old Catholic priest, at his parish in Alkovichi, Minsk Region. During the arrest, officers searched his home as well as the church building. Following the raid, both premises were sealed, with the keys being returned one week later.

    Read more...

  • Priests Pardoned by the Nation's Presidential Leader
    Father Henryk Akalotovich and Father Andrzej Yuchniewicz are standing with Archbishop Ignazio Ceffalia and Archbishop Iosif Stanevsky.
    Father Henryk (second from left) and Father Andrei
    (second from right), along with two archbishops.
    Photo: Catholic.by

    Two Catholic priests who had been convicted and sentenced to more than 10 years in prison were pardoned and freed from a Belarusian labour camp on November 20th. State media claimed that the church leaders, who were granted clemency by President Alexander Lukashenko, had been "convicted of serious crimes against the state, as well as other crimes."

    Read more...

  • KGB Declares Religious Freedom Group "Extremist"
    A church is seen between two trees.
    An Orthodox Church in Belarus.
    Photo: Pexels

    Amidst the ongoing oppression of Christians in Belarus, an organization was established in 2020, bringing together leaders from multiple churches in an effort to monitor and publicize persecution in the country. The organization was registered in neighbouring Lithuania as "Christian Vision for Belarus."

    Read more...

View All