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{{Short description|Wikipedia editor based in Belarus}}
On 7 April 2022, '''Pavel Alexandrovich Pernikaŭ''' ({{lang-be|Павел Аляксандравіч Пернікаў|Pavyel Alyaksandravich Pyernikaw}};),{{efn|Also alsoknown as '''Pavel Aleksandrovich Pernikov''', from ({{lang-ru|Павел Александрович Перников}}),}} a 30-year-old [[Belarus]]ian human rights activist and Wikipedia editor, was sentenced to two years imprisonment for "discrediting the Republic of Belarus" by making two edits to [[Wikipedia]] about political repression in Belarus, and posting one article to the website of a human rights organization about torture and extra-judicial killings in Belarusian detention centers. Days after his imprisonment, he was recognized as a political prisoner by Belarusian human rights organizations.
 
== Background ==
Pavel Alexandrovich Pernikaŭ studied at [[A.S. Pushkin Brest State University]].<ref name="mediazona">{{cite news |first=Mikhail |last=Poloznyakov |url=https://mediazona.by/article/2022/03/29/wiki-2 |title=Захват аккаунта, вандальные правки, уголовное дело. Что известно о Павле Перникове — (как минимум) втором арестованном редакторе википедии из Беларуси |trans-title=Account hijacking, vandal edits, criminal case. What is known about Pavel Pernikov - (at least) the second arrested Wikipedia editor from Belarus |language=ru |work=[[Mediazona]] |date=2022-03-29 |access-date=2022-04-07 |archive-date=2022-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421161056/https://mediazona.by/article/2022/03/29/wiki-2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NN329">{{Cite news |date=2022-03-29 |title=Захват аккаунта, вандальные правки, уголовное дело. Что известно о задержанном редакторе "Википедии" Павле Перникове |trans-title=Account hijacking, vandal edits, criminal case. What is known about the detained Wikipedia editor Pavel Pernikov |url=https://nashaniva.com/?c=ar&i=287241&lang=ru |access-date=2022-04-19 |work=[[Nasha Niva]] |language=ru |archive-date=2022-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419152914/https://nashaniva.com/?c=ar&i=287241&lang=ru |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2013, he participated in a student works competition for the 20th anniversary of the [[World Conference on Human Rights]], and received a diploma from the UN office in Belarus.<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" />
 
Pernikaŭ was engaged in human rights activism in the [[Brest Region]].<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" /> He worked with the Belarusian section of the [[International Society for Human Rights]],<ref name="OpenDemocracy">{{Cite news |first=Mikhail |last=Poloznyakov |date=2022-04-05 |title=Belarus arrests Wikipedia editors over Russia's invasion of |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/belarus-arrest-wikipedia-editors-russian-invasion-of-ukraine/ |access-date=2022-04-07 |work=[[OpenDemocracy]] |language=en |archive-date=2022-05-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513224510/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/belarus-arrest-wikipedia-editors-russian-invasion-of-ukraine/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="mediazona405">{{cite news |first=Mikhail |last=Poloznyakov |date=2022-04-05 |url=https://mediazona.by/translate/2022/04/05/wikipedia |title=Belarus is locking up Wikipedia editors over Russia's invasion of Ukraine |work=[[Mediazona]] |access-date=2022-04-09 |archive-date=2022-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605055544/https://mediazona.by/translate/2022/04/05/wikipedia |url-status=live }}</ref> and as of 2021, headed its press service.<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" /> Pernikaŭ had made more than 84,000 edits to Wikipedia from 2014 to 2021, focusing on coverage of the persecution of journalists and media outlets by the Belarusian government, such as detained ''[[Komsomolskaya Pravda]]'' journalist {{ill|Gennady Mozheiko|be|Генадзь Мікалаевіч Мажэйка|be-tarask|Генадзь Мажэйка|ru|Можейко, Геннадий Николаевич}}, and [[Tut.By]] journalist [[Katsiaryna Barysevich]].<ref name="NN329" /><ref name="OpenDemocracy" /><ref name="ERB329">{{Cite news |title=Стало известно имя белоруса, попавшего под "криминалку" за статьи в Википедии |trans-title=It became known the name of the Belarusian who fell under the "criminal" for articles on Wikipedia |date=2022-03-29 |url=https://euroradio.fm/ru/stalo-izvestno-imya-belorusa-popavshego-pod-kriminalku-za-stati-v-vikipedii |access-date=2022-04-08 |work=[[European Radio for Belarus]] |language=ru |archive-date=2022-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421132043/https://euroradio.fm/ru/stalo-izvestno-imya-belorusa-popavshego-pod-kriminalku-za-stati-v-vikipedii |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2020 and 2021, Pernikaŭ posted to his social media accounts material about the persecution of independent Belarusian media outlets such as [[Novy Chas]], [[Intex-Press]], and [[Brestskaya Gazeta]], and about Belarusian journalists working in exile after being forced to flee Belarus.<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" /><ref name="OpenDemocracy" /> His social media posts stopped in the fall of 2021.<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" /><ref name="OpenDemocracy" /> In December 2021, Pernikaŭ's Wikipedia account was blocked on suspicion that it had been compromised after it was used to make a series of edits removing information about the repression of journalists in Belarus.<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" /><ref name="OpenDemocracy" /><ref name="ERB329" />
Pernikaŭ was engaged in human rights activism in the [[Brest Region]].<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" />
He worked with the Belarusian section of the [[International Society for Human Rights]],<ref name="OpenDemocracy">{{Cite news |first=Mikhail |last=Poloznyakov |date=2022-04-05 |title=Belarus arrests Wikipedia editors over Russia’s invasion of |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/belarus-arrest-wikipedia-editors-russian-invasion-of-ukraine/ |access-date=2022-04-07 |work=[[OpenDemocracy]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="mediazona405">{{cite news |first=Mikhail |last=Poloznyakov |date=2022-04-05 |url=https://mediazona.by/translate/2022/04/05/wikipedia |title=Belarus is locking up Wikipedia editors over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine |work=[[Mediazona]] |access-date=2022-04-09}}</ref> and as of 2021, headed its press service.<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" />
Pernikaŭ had made more than 84,000 edits to Wikipedia from 2014 to 2021, focusing on coverage of the persecution of journalists and media outlets by the Belarusian government, such as detained ''[[Komsomolskaya Pravda]]'' journalist {{ill|Gennady Mozheiko|be|Генадзь Мікалаевіч Мажэйка|be-tarask|Генадзь Мажэйка|ru|Можейко, Геннадий Николаевич}}, and [[Tut.By]] journalist [[Katsiaryna Barysevich]].<ref name="NN329" /><ref name="OpenDemocracy" /><ref name="ERB329">{{Cite news |title=Стало известно имя белоруса, попавшего под "криминалку" за статьи в Википедии |trans-title=It became known the name of the Belarusian who fell under the "criminal" for articles on Wikipedia |date=2022-03-29 |url=https://euroradio.fm/ru/stalo-izvestno-imya-belorusa-popavshego-pod-kriminalku-za-stati-v-vikipedii |access-date=2022-04-08 |work=[[European Radio for Belarus]] |language=ru}}</ref>
In 2020 and 2021, Pernikaŭ posted to his social media accounts material about the persecution of independent Belarusian media outlets such as [[Novy Chas]], [[Intex-Press]], and [[Brestskaya Gazeta]], and about Belarusian journalists working in exile after being forced to flee Belarus.<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" /><ref name="OpenDemocracy" />
His social media posts stopped in the fall of 2021.<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" /><ref name="OpenDemocracy" />
In December 2021, Pernikaŭ's Wikipedia account was blocked on suspicion that it had been compromised after it was used to make a series of edits removing information about the repression of journalists in Belarus.<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" /><ref name="OpenDemocracy" /><ref name="ERB329" />
 
== Prosecution ==
 
On 28 March 2022, the Brest regional prosecutor's office reported that the criminal case of a previously arrested "30-year-old unemployed resident of Brest"<ref name="prok">{{cite web |author= |url=https://prokuratura.gov.by/ru/media/novosti/nadzor-za-resheniyami-po-ugolovnym-i-grazhdanskim-delam/prokuratura-brestskoy-oblasti-v-sud-napravleno-ugolovnoe-delo-o-diskreditatsii-respubliki-belarus/ |title=Прокуратура Брестской области: в суд направлено уголовное дело о дискредитации Республики Беларусь |language=ru |website=prokuratura.gov.by |date=2022-03-28 |access-date=2022-04-07 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> had been transferred to court, accused of "committing acts that discredit the Republic of Belarus", a violation of Article 369-1 of the [[Criminal Code of Belarus]],<ref name="ERB329" /><ref name="NN407">{{Cite news |title=Википедиста из Бреста Павла Перникова осудили на два года колонии |trans-title=Wikipedian from Brest Pavel Pernikov sentenced to two years in prison |date=2022-04-07 |url=https://nashaniva.com/?c=ar&i=287863&lang=ru |access-date=2022-04-08 |work=[[Nasha Niva]] |language=ru |archive-date=2022-05-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530055352/https://nashaniva.com/?c=ar&i=287863&lang=ru |url-status=live }}</ref> punishable by up to four years in prison.<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" /><ref name="OpenDemocracy" /> Prosecutors alleged that between 29 December 2020 and 30 April 2021, the defendant had deliberately publicized on [[Wikipedia]] and on the website of the [[International Society for Human Rights]] "false information about the involvement of the Belarusian authorities in the murder in October 2004 of journalist [[Veronika Cherkasova]], as well as in the torture and murder of people".<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" /><ref name="ERB328">{{Cite news |title=Против автора "Википедии" из Бреста возбудили уголовное дело, его передали в суд |trans-title=A criminal case was opened against the author of "Wikipedia" from Brest, he was taken to court |date=2022-03-28 |url=https://euroradio.fm/ru/protiv-avtora-vikipedii-iz-bresta-vozbudili-ugolovnoe-delo-ego-peredali-v-sud |access-date=2022-04-08 |work=[[European Radio for Belarus]] |language=ru |archive-date=2022-04-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420013951/https://euroradio.fm/ru/protiv-avtora-vikipedii-iz-bresta-vozbudili-ugolovnoe-delo-ego-peredali-v-sud |url-status=live }}</ref>
Prosecutors alleged that between 29 December 2020 and 30 April 2021, the defendant had deliberately publicized on [[Wikipedia]] and on the website of the [[International Society for Human Rights]] "false information about the involvement of the Belarusian authorities in the murder in October 2004 of journalist [[Veronika Cherkasova]], as well as in the torture and murder of people".<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="NN329" /><ref name="ERB328">{{Cite news |title=Против автора "Википедии" из Бреста возбудили уголовное дело, его передали в суд |trans-title=A criminal case was opened against the author of "Wikipedia" from Brest, he was taken to court |date=2022-03-28 |url=https://euroradio.fm/ru/protiv-avtora-vikipedii-iz-bresta-vozbudili-ugolovnoe-delo-ego-peredali-v-sud |access-date=2022-04-08 |work=[[European Radio for Belarus]] |language=ru}}</ref>
 
On the following day, 29 March 2022, the Brest Regional Court held a closed session to hear Pernikaŭ's grievances regarding "detention, house arrest, extension of the period of detention and house arrest, as well as forced placement in a forensic psychiatric expert hospital."<ref name="mediazona" /><ref name="OpenDemocracy" />
 
Pernikaŭ's trial began on 6 April 2022 in the Moscow District court in Brest.<ref name="OpenDemocracy" /><ref name="mediazona405" /><ref name="belsat">{{Cite news |title=Павла Перникова, который внес правки в две статьи в "Википедии", приговорили к 2 годам лишения свободы |trans-title=Pavel Pernikov, who edited two Wikipedia articles, was sentenced to 2 years in prison |date=2022-04-07 |url=https://belsat.eu/ru/news/07-04-2022-pavla-pernikova-kotoryj-vnes-pravki-v-dve-stati-v-vikipedii-prigovorili-k-2-godam-lisheniya-svobody/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |work=[[Belsat TV]] |language=ru |archive-date=2022-05-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527114607/https://belsat.eu/ru/news/07-04-2022-pavla-pernikova-kotoryj-vnes-pravki-v-dve-stati-v-vikipedii-prigovorili-k-2-godam-lisheniya-svobody/ |url-status=live }}</ref> At trial, the prosecutor, Elena Tikhanovich, requested that Pernikaŭ be sentenced to two years in prison based on three alleged violations.<ref name="NN407" /><ref name="belsat" /><ref name="CT">{{Cite news |date=2022-04-07 |title=В Беларуси редактора "Википедии" приговорили к 2 годам колонии по статье о "дискредитации" страны |url=https://www.currenttime.tv/a/belarus-redaktora-vikipedii-prigovor-diskreditatsiya-strany/31791261.html |trans-title=In Belarus, the editor of "Wikipedia" was sentenced to 2 years in prison under an article about "discrediting" the country |access-date=2022-04-20 |work=[[Current Time TV]] |language=ru |archive-date=2022-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531011558/https://www.currenttime.tv/a/belarus-redaktora-vikipedii-prigovor-diskreditatsiya-strany/31791261.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
At trial, the prosecutor, Elena Tikhanovich, requested that Pernikaŭ be sentenced to two years in prison based on three alleged violations.<ref name="NN407" /><ref name="belsat" /><ref name="CT">{{Cite news |date=2022-04-07 |title=В Беларуси редактора "Википедии" приговорили к 2 годам колонии по статье о "дискредитации" страны |url=https://www.currenttime.tv/a/belarus-redaktora-vikipedii-prigovor-diskreditatsiya-strany/31791261.html |trans-title=In Belarus, the editor of "Wikipedia" was sentenced to 2 years in prison under an article about "discrediting" the country |access-date=2022-04-20 |work=[[Current Time TV]] |language=ru}}</ref>
 
First, prosecutors accused Pernikaŭ of adding a paragraph about the murder of [[Gennady Shutov]] and the Belarusian authorities' refusal to take responsibility for the deaths of antigovernment protestors to a Belarusian Wikipedia article about deaths related to the [[2020–2021 Belarusian protests]].<ref name="NN407" /><ref name="belsat" /><ref name="CT" /><ref name="ERB407">{{Cite news |title=Брестского автора Википедии осудили на два года колонии |trans-title=Brest's author Wikipedia sentenced to two years in prison |date=2022-04-07 |url=https://euroradio.fm/ru/brestskogo-avtora-vikipedii-osudili-na-dva-goda-kolonii |access-date=2022-04-20 |work=[[European Radio for Belarus]] |language=ru |archive-date=2022-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531015635/https://euroradio.fm/ru/brestskogo-avtora-vikipedii-osudili-na-dva-goda-kolonii |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
Second, prosecutors accused Pernikaŭ of adding a mention of the 2004 murder of journalist [[Veronika Cherkasova]] to a Belarusian Wikipedia article about censorship in Belarus.<ref name="NN407" /><ref name="belsat" /><ref name="ERB407" /> Prosecutors argued that because Wikipedia already had an article about Cherkasova's murder, Pernikaŭ's addition of the information to a separate article was intended to "discredit" the Belarusian state.<ref name="CT" /><ref name="Esq">{{Cite news |date=2022-04-07 |title=В Беларуси редактора "Википедии" приговорили к 2 годам колонии за правки в статьях о протестах |trans-title=Wikipedia editor sentenced to 2 years in prison in Belarus for editing articles about protests |url=https://esquire.ru/news/politics-news/07-04-2022/673622-v-belarusi-redaktora-vikipedii-prigovorili-k-2-goda-kolonii-za-pravki-v-statyah-o-protestah/ |access-date=2022-04-20 |work=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] (Russian edition) |language=ru |archive-date=2022-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605055550/https://www.pravilamag.ru/news/politics-news/07-04-2022/673622-v-belarusi-redaktora-vikipedii-prigovorili-k-2-goda-kolonii-za-pravki-v-statyah-o-protestah/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="fontanka">{{Cite news |date=2022-04-07 |title=Редактора Википедии из Бреста приговорили к двум годам колонии за правки к статьям, "дискредитирующие Белоруссию" |trans-title=Wikipedia editor from Brest sentenced to two years in prison for editing articles “discrediting Belarus” |url=https://www.fontanka.ru/2022/04/07/71239691/ |access-date=2022-04-20 |work={{ill|[[Fontanka.ru]] |language=ru}} |languagearchive-date=2022-05-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513224739/https://www.fontanka.ru/2022/04/07/71239691/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="afisha">{{Cite workweb |first=Julia |last=Onodera |date=2022-04-07 |title=В Беларуси редактора «Википедии» приговорили к двум годам колонии за правки в статьях о протестах |trans-title=Wikipedia editor sentenced to two years in prison in Belarus for editing articles about protests |url=https://daily.afisha.ru/news/62011-v-belarusi-redaktora-vikipedii-prigovorili-k-dvum-godam-kolonii-za-pravki-v-stati-o-protestah/ |access-date=20222024-0405-2001 |work=[[Afisha|Afisha Daily]] |archive-date=2022-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429072644/https://daily.afisha.ru/news/62011-v-belarusi-redaktora-vikipedii-prigovorili-k-dvum-godam-kolonii-za-pravki-v-stati-o-protestah/ |url-status=live }}</ref>▼
Second, prosecutors accused Pernikaŭ of adding a mention of the 2004 murder of journalist [[Veronika Cherkasova]] to a Belarusian Wikipedia article about censorship in Belarus.<ref name="NN407" /><ref name="belsat" /><ref name="ERB407" />
▲Prosecutors argued that because Wikipedia already had an article about Cherkasova's murder, Pernikaŭ's addition of the information to a separate article was intended to "discredit" the Belarusian state.<ref name="CT" /><ref name="Esq">{{Cite news |date=2022-04-07 |title=В Беларуси редактора "Википедии" приговорили к 2 годам колонии за правки в статьях о протестах |trans-title=Wikipedia editor sentenced to 2 years in prison in Belarus for editing articles about protests |url=https://esquire.ru/news/politics-news/07-04-2022/673622-v-belarusi-redaktora-vikipedii-prigovorili-k-2-goda-kolonii-za-pravki-v-statyah-o-protestah/ |access-date=2022-04-20 |work=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] (Russian edition)|language=ru}}</ref><ref name="fontanka">{{Cite news |date=2022-04-07 |title=Редактора Википедии из Бреста приговорили к двум годам колонии за правки к статьям, "дискредитирующие Белоруссию" |trans-title=Wikipedia editor from Brest sentenced to two years in prison for editing articles “discrediting Belarus” |url=https://www.fontanka.ru/2022/04/07/71239691/ |access-date=2022-04-20 |work={{ill|Fontanka.ru|ru}} |language=ru}}</ref><ref name="afisha">{{Cite work |first=Julia |last=Onodera |date=2022-04-07 |title=В Беларуси редактора «Википедии» приговорили к двум годам колонии за правки в статьях о протестах |trans-title=Wikipedia editor sentenced to two years in prison in Belarus for editing articles about protests |url=https://daily.afisha.ru/news/62011-v-belarusi-redaktora-vikipedii-prigovorili-k-dvum-godam-kolonii-za-pravki-v-stati-o-protestah/ |access-date=2022-04-20 |work=[[Afisha|Afisha Daily]]}}</ref>
 
Third, prosecutors accused Pernikaŭ of posting an article about torture and death in Belarusian penal colonies and detention centers on the website of the [[International Society for Human Rights]].<ref name="NN407" /><ref name="belsat" /><ref name="ERB407" />
Line 35 ⟶ 27:
 
== Reaction ==
On 11 April 2022, Pernikaŭ (together with 17 other Belarusians) was recognized as a political prisoner by Belarusian human rights organizations [[Viasna Human Rights Centre]], Legal initiative, [[Belarusian Association of Journalists]], Lawtrend, and {{ill|Barys Zvozskau|ru|Звозсков, Борис Игоревич}} Belarusian Human Rights House.<ref name="ERB411">{{Cite news |date=2022-04-11 |title=В Беларуси стало сразу на 18 политзаключенных больше |trans-title=There are 18 more political prisoners in Belarus at once |url=https://euroradio.fm/ru/v-belarusi-stalo-srazu-na-18-politzaklyuchennyh-bolshe |access-date=2022-04-20 |work=[[European Radio for Belarus]] |language=ru |archive-date=2022-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220514054824/https://euroradio.fm/ru/v-belarusi-stalo-srazu-na-18-politzaklyuchennyh-bolshe |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=spr96.11.04.22>{{cite web |title=18 Belarusians recognized as political prisoners |url=https://spring96.org/en/news/107352 |website=[[Viasna Human Rights Centre]] |date=2022-04-11 |access-date=2022-04-11 |archive-date=2022-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419013618/https://spring96.org/en/news/107352 |url-status=live }}.</ref> They called for the immediate release of Pernikaŭ and other political prisoners of Belarus, and for ending the criminal prosecutions against them.<ref name=spr96.11.04.22 />
 
== See also ==
Line 42 ⟶ 34:
* [[Wikipedia and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]]
* [[Blocking of Wikipedia in Russia]]
* {{slink|Censorship in Saudi Arabia|Since 2019}}
* [[Censorship of Wikipedia]]
* [[List of Wikipedia people]]
* [[List of people imprisoned for editing Wikipedia]]
 
== Notes ==
{{notelist}}
 
== References ==
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detention_of_Pavel_Pernikaŭ"