Belarusian authorities pursue criminal cases against two religious freedom advocates

Belarusian authorities have initiated criminal proceedings against Protestant preacher Sergiy Melyanets and Orthodox theologian Natallia Vasilevich, a co-founder of the rights group Christian Vision. Both individuals were recently identified on Russia’s Federal Wanted List at the request of the Belarusian government. Despite inquiries from the religious freedom organization Forum 18, officials in Belarus have declined to disclose the specific criminal charges filed against the two activists or confirm their current legal status.

Melyanets, a Minsk native, fled Belarus in 2024 after serving 25 days of administrative detention. He was initially arrested in March 2024 while attending a court hearing to offer prayerful support to journalist Igor Korney, who was facing charges related to his affiliation with the Belarusian Association of Journalists. Melyanets had frequently attended court proceedings to pray for opposition activists before relocating to Poland with his family. Vasilevich, known for her work with Christian Vision, also remains a target of the ongoing investigation, though details regarding the nature of the accusations against her have not been made public.