(Reuters) -Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has freed two Roman Catholic priests convicted of “serious crimes against the state” following diplomatic contacts with the Vatican, state news agency Belta reported on Thursday.
Henrykh Akalatovich, 65, was serving an 11-year sentence for treason after being accused of spying for Poland and the Vatican – charges that he said were based on “lies, threats and blackmail”. He was arrested in 2023, soon after undergoing stomach surgery for cancer, according to human rights group Viasna.
Andrzej Yukhnevich was sentenced earlier this year to 13 years for abusing minors, charges the priest denied. He had previously been detained four times, including for posting a Ukrainian flag on a social media account, Viasna said.
Belta said Lukashenko had pardoned the pair as a gesture of mercy, and in light of “intensified contacts with the Vatican”.
Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has freed several hundred prisoners since mid-2024 as he seeks to mend relations with the West after years of sanctions over his human rights record and backing for Russia’s war in Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump this month named a special envoy to Belarus and tasked him with negotiating further releases.
According to Viasna, a total of 1,255 political prisoners are still behind bars in Belarus, including 29 priests and other religious believers.
The Roman Catholic Church in Belarus said the release of Akalatovich and Yukhnevich followed a visit to Belarus last month by Vatican envoy Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, on behalf of Pope Leo.
“His visit gave a positive impetus to further contacts, an important result of which was the decision of the President of the Republic of Belarus, as a sign of mercy and respect for the Pope, to pardon and release Catholic priests who were serving sentences in places of detention,” it said.
(Reporting by Mark TrevelyanEditing by Andrew Osborn)
