Maksim Tatsianok

Former prisoner

Date of birth: 28 February 1982

Date of detention: 22 November 2020

Charges indicted:

  • Part 2 of Art. 339 of the Criminal Code — Hooliganism committed by a group of persons
  • Art. 369 of the Criminal Code — Insulting a government official

Sentence: 3 years

Penalty: restricted freedom in an open penal facility ("khimiya")

Prison sentence start date: 18 June 2021

Date of release: 8 December 2023

Judge: Aliaksandr Rudenka

Groups: Activists, Cultural workers, The military

Cases: Protests in Minsk

Maksim Tatsianok is a designer, volunteer, former military man from Minsk.

Tatsianok is accused under part 2 of article 339 of the Criminal Code (group disorderly conduct) and article 369 of the Criminal Code (contempt of an official) for having made effigies of Natallia Kachanava, Minister of Internal Affairs, Ivan Kubrakou, and a riot policeman in balaclava against a white-red-white flag on the night of 20-21 November 2020.

According to the indictment, a group of people, which included Tatsianok as well as Dzianis Zayancheuski, installed an effigy with photos of officials and a police officer and thereby expressed contempt for society, as well as deliberately and with particular cynicism humiliated the honor and dignity of the officials. Such actions were qualified by the investigators as group disorderly conduct.

Maksim was detained on 22 November 2020, then released, but then detained again and put in custody pending trial. On 26 February 2021, he was sentenced to 3 years of restricted freedom in an open-type correctional facility.

Addresses of prisons:

What should I know and how to help?

✉️ Write a letter. Make a scan of your letter or postcard and share it online

🤝 Please use the Russian (or Belarusian) name of the prison

💡 Foreign-language messages may be blocked, so attach a translation (e.g. translate.google.com)

💡 A big guide about helping Belarusian political prisoners from abroad

💡 More tips here

Support “Viasna”