Priest Lazar cannot receive prayer book

Pre-trial detention for Catholic priest Uladzislau Lazar has been prolonged for a week.

He was allowed to receive a parcel on August 3.

Radio Svaboda lernt this from his sister Yanina living in the village of Kaniukhi, the Maladzechan district. How was Lazar arrested?

”His phone was unavailable on May 31. I began to worry, because he was to arrive in Barysau from us. Until June 7, people were talling me he might be in Poland, but his phone was always available even when he was in Poland. I filed a request to the police in Maladzechna. Before that, I called all hospitals, morgues and road police departments. After the request to the police, I received a phone call from the KGB. They said 'your brother is alive, but he was detained' and hung up. I didn't believe it at first. I thought he was kidnapped for ransom. I went to the police again. On June 11, a KGB officer phoned and said he would call his mother on June 12 at 11:00, so she must be at home.

He only said: 'Pray, we need to build the church.' I called back on that number. I asked the person on the phone to introduce himself, but he hung up. I showed this phone number to the police. I went to Minsk to the bishop. He confirmed Lazar had been detained, but he didn't know any details. He said they didn't allow visits to him and added we should pray,” the priest's sister said.

“They didn't want to accept the parcel at first. They called the investigator and then agreed to accept it. They only refused to take the prayer book. We passed food and clothes to him. We filed an application for a visit or a phone call, because our mother worries and cannot sleep. We fear we can lose her. She needs to hear his voice. It's likely that he was framed. Maybe someone was envious that Lazar was sent to a new church. He had been Barysau for a month. He had served in Maryina Horka before. We need to ring alarm bells, because they detained an innocent man.”