At the Vitebsk Temporary Detention Center (IVS), the rector of the Catholic Church Andrei Vashchuk is serving his second 15-day administrative detention. It will be released no earlier than August 14th. First, Vashchuk was accused of violating the law on mass events and was arrested on July 15 under the so-called “people” article 24.23 of the Belarus Administrative Offenses Code. A week later, already behind bars, he was sentenced to another 15 days, presumably for participating in one of the Telegram chat rooms, recognized by the authorities as “extremist”.

Living Faith Full Gospel Church Pastor Gomel Dmitry Podlobko was luckier. On July 29, he received only a fine of 20 basic units (about 244 euros) under the same article 24.23 of the Offenses Code. The rite of baptism was considered by the police to be an illegal mass event. Previously, oppositionists were tried under this article. Now is it the turn of the priests?

Priests behind bars – already the norm

Andrei Vashchuk – Rector of the Church of the Holy Spirit. In other words, this is no ordinary priest, says the representative of the human rights center “Spring” Natalia Satsunkevich. Vesna volunteers in Vitebsk, she continues, watched as pro-government social media groups launched a smear campaign against the cleric after his arrest. “Therefore, there is no guarantee that the priest will be released on August 14, and then it will be the first case of criminal prosecution of a Catholic priest for political reasons,” notes Natalya Satsunkevich.

As for the Protestant denominations, they are in a particularly vulnerable position, according to the pastor of one of the Belarusian churches, who asked not to reveal his name or city. In the case of Dmitry Podlobko, we are talking about a charismatic trend, he explains: there are churches where baptism is performed simply by sprinkling water, but for Charismatics, Pentecostals, Baptists and Adventists, it is important to baptize adults with full immersion, and that only possible on the river. And every time he threatens with imprisonment for 15 days. Religious communities will have to act as in the USSR, believes the DW interlocutor: “Then they gathered a group of people who wanted to be baptized, left the city and held the ceremony so that the police would not see them”.

From autumn 2020 to the present, at least 30 priests have been subjected to administrative persecution. Such data is provided in its monitoring by the working group “Christian Vision” of the Coordinating Council of the Belarusian opposition. 11 ministers were held in administrative detention, having served 106 days in temporary detention centers in different cities. Two priests were arrested on criminal charges.

The authorities want to control the churches

An old friend of Nikolai Autukhovich accused by Belarusian authorities of creating a terrorist group, Orthodox priest Sergei Rezanovich is also accused in his case. And the pastor of Baptist Church “Light of Hope” Vitaly Chichmaev was the leader of the primary organization of the Free Union of Metalworkers (SPM) at the Minsk Electrotechnical Plant. After the defeat of the independent unions on April 19 of this year, he was arrested and charged under Article 342 of the Penal Code of Belarus “Organization and preparation of actions that violate public order”.

Vyacheslav Borok

Why the regime needed to persecute the clergy is a moot question, says Catholic priest Vyacheslav Borok. He himself, being the rector of the church in Rossony, Vitebsk region, was one of the first to serve 10 days in prison, after which he left Belarus. “In fact, the regime wants to maintain the status quo and not spoil relations with church organizations where its representatives are loyal,” Borok said.

On the other hand, he continues, churches are perceived as organizations that need to be kept in check. Therefore, the selective detention of priests of all denominations – Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant – is a signal to society that the church, which had a voice of its own, must now understand that real power is only power.

“As for the consequences of these repressions, the Belarusian regime has gone so far that it cannot imagine what else could cause a negative reaction from the international community”, believes Vyacheslav Borok. In Belarus, he recalls, there were even executions of innocents under the lens of video cameras, but no investigation was launched.

Even the Vatican and the US State Department are powerless

The Catholic Church may try to negotiate through its diplomatic channels, but it will all come to nothing, Vyacheslav Borok is sure: “We see the Vatican’s failed diplomatic policy in Eastern Europe, and the war in Ukraine and the situation in Belarus are proof of that.”

Obviously, he continues, Belarus will worsen its positions in the annual report of the US State Department’s Commission on International Religious Freedom. But the State Department commission is a tool for countries to choose a civilized path of development, and Belarus is not on this list. The country had already been included in the report with a negative assessment.

Long before the political crisis of August 2020, the human rights center Viasna recorded violations of the rights of religious organizations, notes lawyer Pavel Sapelka. For example, the authorities prevented the registration of Protestant congregations and Jehovah’s Witnesses and harassed street preachers. Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, concerning freedom of religion, was violated, but the Church’s own representatives, he adds, did not file complaints with the UN Human Rights Committee for their own reasons.

Viasna, in turn, did not act in support of the clergy subjected to repression, as all political prisoners are equally important. The religious community, notes Sapelko, is experiencing the same “legal standard” as the entire society. Favors are not given to anyone.

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