MINSK - The Press Office of the Bishops of Belarus thanks all those who contributed to the release of two imprisoned priests, Father Heryk Okolotowicz and Father Andrzej Juchniewicz OMI. The Bishops' Conference of Belarus expressed her gratitude on November 20 To all those who were involved in the release of Father Henryk Okołotowicz and Father Andrzej Juchniewicz, O.M.I., who were imprisoned for crimes against the state.
„The Roman Catholic Church in Belarus welcomes the positive development of the state in respecting international law, the resumption of dialogue between the Republic of Belarus and the United States, as well as the strengthening of contacts with the Vatican,“ the press office of the Belarusian Bishops' Conference said. This positive development of the situation occurred after meeting Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The press office said the impetus for the release of the two priests was a visit by Cardinal Gugerotti, the former apostolic nuncio to Belarus, “as a sign of mercy and respect for the Pope”.
According to the human rights centre Viasna, a total of 1 255 political prisoners, including 29 priests and other faithful.
P. Okołotowicz, a 65-year-old Belarusian citizen of Polish origin, was arrested in November 2023 on suspicion of „extremism“. This term is loosely applied to any actions, public statements or social media posts that are deemed critical of the authorities.
P. Okołotowicz, despite having previously suffered a heart attack and having been diagnosed with cancer, was on 30 December 2024 Sentenced to 11 years in prison for treason. The Supreme Court of Belarus confirmed his sentence in March 2025. In October 2025, the website katolik.life, which covers Catholic news in Belarus, published by A message from the Okolotowicze. The priest reportedly said he drew strength from the rosary and the example of Cardinal Kazimierz Świątek, who spent 10 years in Soviet camps and died in 2011.
Forty-three-year-old P. Juchniewicz was born in Poland and served as provincial of the Oblates in Belarus. Arrested together with his fellow brother Pavel Lemekh
Both priests were initially detained on charges of „subversion“. Investigators then charged Juchniewicz with other offences, allegedly related to the „sexual integrity of minors“, which strongly denied and his parish community found the accusations unfounded. The district court sentenced Juchniewicz to 13 years in prison in April 2025. Another court later rejected his appeal against the verdict.
Christian Vision for Belarus She told, that it is noteworthy that Juchniewicz appears to have been officially recognised as a political prisoner, given the previous charge which allegedly concerned the „sexual integrity of minors“. „Therefore, he was not only released, but also had his good name and reputation restored,“ the organisation said in a social media post on 20 November.
The press office of the Belarusian bishops published on November 20 Photographs Okołotowicz and Juchniewicz with Archbishop Iosif Staneuski, President of the Belarusian Bishops„ Conference, and Archbishop Ignazio Ceffalia, Apostolic Nuncio to Belarus. Both priests had short-cropped hair and looked thin. The press office also said that Staneuski, Ceffalia and Gugerotti “were directly and significantly involved" in securing the priests' release.
vaticannews.va/gnews.cz-jav
English 
Czech 
Spanish 
French 
Italian 
Russian 
Chinese 
German