Two Catholic priests who were sentenced to labor camps in Belarus after conviction on highly questionable charges of “crimes against the state” have been pardoned and released. But the government has not yet indicated whether they will be allowed to return to their parish assignments.
Father Henryk Okolotovich and Father Andrei Yukhnevich were released from their labor-camp sentences on November 20, and immediately flown out of the country; they are now in Rome. They were pardoned by President Aleksandr Lukashenko, not long after the Belarus leader had met with Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, who raised the question of their imprisonment.
The two priests had been convicted in a closed-court trial. They have insisted that they are completely innocent, and their supporters believe the charges were spurious.