Dear brothers and sisters!
On this Bright Feast of the Resurrection, the Our House team warmly congratulates all Christians – regardless of denomination, language, tradition, or country. The Resurrection of Christ is the triumph of life over death, light over darkness, and truth over falsehood.
We wish you strength, resilience, and deep faith in these dark and challenging times.
May your hearts be filled with hope, and your souls with light.
Yet today, as millions of Christians gather in prayer around the world, we are compelled to remind the international community that in Belarus, the right to freedom of conscience and religion is being systematically violated.
Religious Persecution in Belarus: Key Facts
Denial of Access to Political Prisoners for Clergy
Clergy are regularly denied access to political prisoners, especially those in pre-trial detention. Visits are often permitted only after sentencing, or refused entirely by court order — even in cases of serious spiritual need.
Ban on Religious Literature in Detention
Detention centers routinely reject and return Bibles, prayer books, and other religious materials sent to prisoners. In some cases, entire shipments of religious texts have been returned without explanation.
Surveillance of Clergy and Cooperation with Security Services
KGB collects lists of “unreliable” clergy. Authorities monitor sermons, interrogate religious leaders, and arrest clergy who pray for peace, against war and violence or express political opinions.
Religious Restrictions and Humiliation in Prison
Religious items such as crucifixes and rosaries are confiscated, despite being allowed by prison rules. Detainees have reported that crucifixes are violently torn from their necks during searches or upon arrival at detention centers.
Political prisoners are also denied the right to grieve lost relatives or attend funerals of close family members.
A Historic Precedent: The Conviction of Catholic Priest Henrikh Okolotovich under a “Capital Punishment” Article
On December 30, 2024, Catholic priest Fr. Henrikh (Henadz) Okolotovich, parish priest of St. Joseph’s Church in Volozhin, was sentenced by the Minsk Regional Court to 11 years in a high-security penal colony. He was convicted of “high treason” under Article 356, Part 1 of the Belarusian Criminal Code — a charge that carries the death penalty in Belarus.
The trial was held behind closed doors, with no press, public, or Vatican representatives present. Neither bishops nor the Apostolic Nunciature attended the sentencing.
According to the religious news outlet Katolik.life, the case was built on unsubstantiated allegations that Fr. Okolotovich had passed secret information causing an estimated €1 million in damages to the state. No evidence of guilt was presented, and the priest pleaded not guilty.
Fr. Henrikh is one of Belarus’ most respected Catholic clergy, born in the village of Novaya Mysh (Brest region). During the Soviet era, he studied theology in secret, was secretly ordained, and since the early 1980s has played a pivotal role in reviving the Catholic Church in Belarus, especially in rural regions. He is known for preaching in the Belarusian language and for his deep commitment to national culture.
At the time of trial, Fr. Henrikh was in critical health: he had suffered a heart attack, undergone surgery for cancer, and required continuous medical supervision. He had been held in KGB custody for over a year. Parishioners say the charges were based on mistranslated documents, threats, and coercion. In letters from detention, he wrote: “I only ask for prayers. I am innocent.”
On This Holy Day, We Will Not Be Silent
We express our solidarity with Christians of all confessions in Belarus.
Freedom of conscience and belief is not a privilege — it is a fundamental human right. No one should be persecuted for prayer, for calling for peace, for wearing a cross, for preaching, or for conducting a funeral for someone deemed “undesirable” by the regime.
Let the Light of the Resurrection shine through the darkness.
Easter is about liberation — and the victory of good over evil.
With faith, hope, and solidarity,
The Our House Team
Related articles:
Monitoring of “Our House”, dedicated to repressions against clergy and believers of different confessions
New repressions against priests in Belarus: priests accused of “extremism”
Humanitarian Delivery to Warsaw: Our House Sends Aid for Belarusian Women – Former Political Prisoners
“Our House” human rights activist Yuliya Goryachko released from custody
In Belarus an attempt made to conscript a Catholic priest into the army
Olga Karach has supported the Orthodox Church of Ukraine’s efforts to introduce a single date for the celebration of Christmas