Former political prisonersProbation

Maksim Lepushenka

Dissidentby since
Viasna since

One of the oldest active editors of the Belarusian Wikipedia section and the most experienced administrator. He focused mainly on the ancient history of Belarus, but spent most of his time maintaining order in the section and moderating disputes.

The detention of Maxim Lepushenko is not the first case of recent repressions directed against authors and editors of the Belarusian Wikipedia. The detentions of several Belarusian Wikipedia administrators over several months appear to be part of a coordinated campaign, as indicated by the unfounded attacks from propagandists:
- In April, administrator Olga Sitnik (Khomelka) disappeared; she was detained twice.
- In December 2024, the editor of Stary Jolup was detained.
- In March 2025, Kazimier Lachnovič (real name unknown) disappeared - one of the four administrators of the section on Tarashkevitsa. A week after the disappearance of the administrator Kazimier Lachnovič, propaganda material by Lyudmila Gladkaya was released, in which it was said that Wikipedia is a weapon of mass destruction against the countries of the post-Soviet space, and the Belarusian section is edited from Poland.

Sentences

Trial outcome 08.08.2025
2 years 6 months restrictions of freedom without referral to an open-type correctional facility.

Involved in repression

Igor Grigorievich Kenyukh
Igor Grigorievich Kenyukh
Overseers21 january 1980
Place:
IVS Okrestina
Type:
Head of the correctional facility
More
Eugene Sergeevich Hitrik
Eugene Sergeevich Hitrik
Overseers16 november 1982
Place:
SIZO-1 Kolyadichi
Type:
Head of the correctional facility
More
Maksim Lepushenka
In custody:
Case categories:
Protests 2020, Minsk
Hometown:
Minsk
Birthday:
14.04.1974
Was held in:
SIZO-1 Novodvorsky s/s, 143/4, Pashkovichi village, Minsk district, Minsk region 223016
Articles:
Marks:

Timeline

  1. 2025
  2. 15.05.2025

    Transfer

    IVS Okrestina — In custody

  3. ~16.06.2025

    Transfer

    SIZO-1 Kolyadichi — In custody

  4. 08.08.2025

    Trial outcome 08.08.2025

    2 years 6 months restrictions of freedom without referral to an open-type correctional facility, Court of the Central District of Minsk

  5. 08.08.2025

    Status change

    Probation