"There Will Be No Mutual Bail at the Last Judgment": A Powerful Appeal of a Christian Woman to the Authorities

Christ already won 2,000 years ago, so the Belarusians cannot be stopped now.

Orthodox parishioner Anastasia Nekrashevich sent an open letter to the Belarusian authorities:

- I, Anastasia Nekrashevich, an Orthodox Christian, appeal to the Belarusian authorities and the whole world.

There is a great misfortune in my home country. It is impossible to hear more about cut veins, hunger strikes, torture, bullying, murder, persecution, violence, repression. My grandparents went through the Stalinist camps and it seemed that it was forever in the past. I can't look at how our country turns into a prison and human cruelty again takes on sophisticated forms and is presented as a norm of life. This has even become the norm for some monks, priests, and laity who call themselves Orthodox Christians.

On Quinquagesima Sunday, I want to ask forgiveness from all those who suffered during the years of this regime, for our silence and inaction. It is our fault if those who are now torturing and killing you did not see love and mercy in us, Christians. This we could not explain to each of them that one cannot raise a hand against a brother and that the Last Judgment awaits all of us. There will be no mutual bail and impunity, we'll be held accountable for every word, action, and inaction. We did not tell how the robber was saved before his death by bringing repentance.

I was born and raised in Minsk. Until last year, like most Belarusians, I was absolutely apolitical, but August 2020 divided my life into before and after. For the first time in my life, I went to the polls and voted not for you, but against the lie and the system that nurtures and supports it. Thousands of people realized that another lawlessness had occurred and came out on August 9 with a peaceful protest.

Do you understand? Against deception. It's Christian. For this, bullets and grenades flew at us. On the 10th, we went out against violence and insanity, and we were seized on the streets like dangerous criminals. The women took the flowers in their hands so that the men would not take up arms. We went out with icons, crosses, and bibles so that no blood was shed and there were no sacrifices. Do you understand? We don't want war.

But blood and tears are still pouring. You are looking for the organizers of the revolution, which you have invented, among students, pensioners, mothers of many children. You kidnap people on the streets, break into houses, humiliate and mock them in front of children, but you still cannot find the "puppeteers." You have taken the whole country hostage and I offer you to take my freedom and life in exchange for all innocent and political prisoners. If you need a sacrifice, I will make it voluntarily.

... I will take on all the crimes you say. I'm ready to go to death, just stop and don't torture any more people. I am not afraid of death, I am afraid to face God.

What do I say? What have I done as a Christian to stop evil and violence? Two and a half years ago, the Lord saved my life when I wanted to get away from powerlessness. While you talk about clean streets and wonderful life, people become hostages of your system and cannot find a way out of it. Our country takes one of the first places in the number of suicides. And for a believer, this is hell. But people are taking this last desperate step from despair. Having experienced this state, I cannot describe how scary it is. But the Lord descends into hell to save sinners if they ask for help and repent of their sins.

Our Orthodox church authorities are afraid to call you personally (Lukashenka - ed.) to repentance and everyone on whose hands there are blood and tears of innocent people. I'm not afraid. When a person meets God, speaking the truth and dying for it is not at all scary. It is scary what will happen to all of us at the High Court. On the eve of Great Lent, I call on you and everyone who tortured and killed our people all these years to prayer and repentance. I urge you to stop and release all political prisoners, innocently convicted, and stop repressions against those who do not agree with lies and violence.

You "do not want to give your beloved," but I am part of it and I give you my life voluntarily. Not out of fear, but out of Love. Love is stronger than fear. For many years you humiliated and insulted your beloved, and the Lord opened her eyes and said that she was smart, beautiful, strong, and free. Her love, like a clean and powerful river, revives everything around and this flow cannot be stopped. Christ has already won 2,000 years ago, it is impossible to kill him with bullets and grenades.

I want to appeal to all Christians in the world. We really need your prayer and support. We are one. And if one part hurts, the whole world suffers. We pray and cry now. We cry that people crucify Christ again and again. We cry for all the oppressed in our country. We ask the whole world for help to stop the lawlessness. We need your assistance in freeing the prisoners, helping the victims, and, of course, ending the terror.

Dear Belarusians! Forgive us, the negligent Christians who cannot stop the violence and torture. The Belarusian Orthodox Church does not hear us, but this does not mean that we are not there. Many priests and Christians support peaceful protest actions, considering them primarily spiritual. We are together and have no right to give up and forget the names of those who suffered. We must support each other now more than ever. I appeal to all who have already come to God and who are on the way. Let us strengthen our prayers. From tomorrow, we begin to read the penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete and the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian. Everyone can pray in their own words as they feel and understand. The Lord accepts everything from the heart.

The Mighty God, help! Make our country and our people free and happy!

Long live with God Belarus!