The Belarusian Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBOPiK) has detained leading Wikipedia editor Mark Bernstein. The arrest came after Bernstein’s personal information was shared on GOBUPiK’s public Telegram channel. Bernstein is known as one of the top 50 editors of Russian Wikipedia.
A video of Bernstein’s detention was also posted online. Bernstein is accused of “spreading fake anti-Russian information”.
It was stated that Berstein was accused of changing Wikipedia pages about the occupation of Ukraine. However, it was not disclosed what was changed. It is known that he made 200,000 changes to Wikipedia articles published in the Russian language alone. Bernstein’s Wikipedia account currently appears to be “indefinitely blocked.”