Catholic priest Andzhey Yukhnevich was not released over the weekend after serving a 45-day jail term on a charge of "violating regulations for holding pickets," and instead had his incarceration extended for unspecified reasons until July 2. The charge against the priest stemmed from his post on Facebook of a picture, showing him holding a Ukrainian national flag, and the historical flag of Belarus. The white-red-white flag was used by the short-lived Belarusian Democratic Republic in 1918-1920 and reinstated after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In 1995, the authoritarian ruler of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, replaced the historical flag with one similar to that used in the Soviet era. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Belarus Service, click here.
Catholic Priest In Belarus Not Released After Serving 45-Day Jail Term
Andzhey Yukhnevich (left) was jailed for a Facebook post. (file photo)