As of the end of September 2026, there are 25 Christians on the list of political prisoners in Belarus whose names are known to human rights defenders.

This is according to monitoring data from the human rights organization Christian Vision.

The list of former political prisoners whose persecution was not known about before their release or inclusion on the list of “extremists” also continues to grow.

“To date, we have documented at least 68 Christian women and men who are former political prisoners,” the human rights defenders report.

In September 2026, 56-year-old Catholic believer Halina Ustsyuhova from Byeshankovichy was added to the list of political prisoners. Her name appeared on the Interior Ministry’s updated list of “persons involved in extremist activities.” Ustsyuhova’s public social media profile states that she is Catholic. From time to time, she shared broadcasts of Catholic services and news about the Catholic Church on her page.

As LF previously reported, at least 35 religious organizations were forcibly dissolved in Belarus in September this year.

We previously reported that Catholic priest Anatoliy Parakhnevich, parish priest in Alkovichy, Vilyeyka District, had been detained in Belarus. Parakhnevich is accused of “treason against the state.”

As LF reported, the Belarusian authorities, acting on a decision by the KGB, are seizing and selling property belonging to Catholic priest Henrykh Akalatovich. The priest was convicted of “treason against the state” and released two years later following a petition by the Vatican.

A Catholic priest and two Evangelical presbyters had previously been detained in Belarus.