Maxim, a former riot police officer, resigned from the service in 2012 (he had decided to leave back in 2010, after the elections). He later went to live in Poland but was forced to return to Belarus and was detained at his home in the agricultural town of Khotzezhino on August 17, 2021. Following his arrest, GUBOPiK officers recorded a "confessional" video with him, in which he spoke about his involvement in the events of August 9–11, 2020. Pro-government Telegram channels, however, portrayed him as a former security officer who resigned in protest in 2020, which was untrue.
In November 2021, Maxim was found guilty of "organizing and preparing actions that grossly violate public order, or actively participating in them" and sentenced to restricted freedom without placement in an open-type facility.
In September 2024, a court hearing was held to discuss the issue of replacing the restriction of freedom with a commitment to an open correctional facility. The outcome of the hearing, as well as Maxim's presence, remains unknown.
unknown years restrictions of freedom with referral to an open-type correctional facility.
How to write a letter
✏️ A postcard with words of encouragement (a poem by your favorite author, song lyrics, or a beautiful quote). Trust us, even such simple gestures are very meaningful to a person in jail.
✏️ Your life events. To a person who is in isolation for a long time, any story about your routine endeavors will be a window into normal life. Your day-to-day worries and mundane matters are much more interesting than the daily grind of life behind bars.
✏️ It is important to share news. Mention the most notable and interesting occurrences depending on your pen-pal's interests.
✍️️ Remember that every letter is censored. This means that your letters are read by strangers whose main goal is to limit inmates' access to information or to use it against the prisoners or even you.
So try to avoid:
👉️️ harsh statements regarding ongoing political matters
👉 statements against the authorities and public servants
👉 foul language
👉 discussion of the circumstances of the criminal case
To ensure that none of political prisoners are left without attention and support the site has a function of verified sendings.
Please attach a photo or a screenshot for transfer verification. The new transfer will be posted on the site as soon as it is verified by the moderator!
Support actions
You can upload an image from the support event, and after passing moderation we will publish it.
Respond to help those released
Do you want to help a released political prisoner? Send your contact to Telegram and we will contact you.
A Keeper means you want to regularly help a specific person in prison through their family. Choose a political prisoner and click «Become a Keeper», our team will contact you shortly.
You can request the letters that we have in storage, for this, leave your telegram account for feedback, we will contact you and, after verifying your identity, we will transfer the archive with your letters.
Are you a relative or someone close to a political prisoner? Send us a short description and your Telegram contact for feedback. After data verification we will publish your relative on the website.
Do you have information about administrative prosecution? Please send us a short description and your Telegram contact for feedback. After checking the data, we will publish your information on the site.
Please leave your contact on Telegram and describe your skills in as much detail as possible. After moderation, your CV will be published on the website.
Multi upload allows you to send confirmations with one photo to several political prisoners at once, check the selected people before sending!
Please attach a photo or a screenshot for transfer verification. The new transfer will be posted on the site as soon as it is verified by the moderator!
Write to representatives
Correct translation
Application for assistance in employment or retraining
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