{"id":92525,"date":"2024-06-25T14:30:37","date_gmt":"2024-06-25T11:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/92525\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"jailed-catholic-priest-declared-political-prisoner","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/92525\/","title":{"rendered":"Jailed Catholic priest declared political prisoner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (catholic.by)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

June 25, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> The Belarusian human rights groups have declared Andrej Juchnievi\u010d, rector of the church of Our Lady of F\u00e1tima in \u0160umilina, Viciebsk region, a political prisoner, says the joint statement posted by the Viasna Human Rights Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juchnievi\u010d has spent more than 45 days behind bars after being convicted of several minor offenses, including in connection with a social media post containing the Ukrainian flag, the rights defenders said. His fourth trial resulted in a 10-day jail term that expires on July 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rights defenders demand that authorities overturn all court rulings against the priest and immediately release him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Lawtrend and Pravavaja Inicyjatyva aligned themselves with Viasna\u2019s statement and called for an immediate release of all political prisoners and an end to the politically-motivated crackdown in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police arrested Juchnievi\u010d on May 8 along with his colleague Pavie\u0142 Lemiech on suspicion of subversive activity against the Belarusian state, following the Viciebsk diocese church meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lemiech was released after serving 10 days in jail, while Juchnievi\u010d remained behind bars. Both are known as the Missionaries Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a Catholic congregation founded in the early 19th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of June 25, human rights defenders identified at least 1,423 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented. Opposition sources estimate the number of political prisoners at around 5,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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