Authorities in Belarus, Russia’s ally, have arrested Mark Bernstein, one of the top editors of the Russian Wikipedia, “on suspicion of spreading Pike News” about an invasion of Ukraine. In the hours after the arrest, a video of the arrest was published alongside his photo and personal details of Bernstein
A senior Wikipedia editor named Mark Bernstein, one of the top 50 editors of the Russian Wikipedia, has been arrested “on suspicion of spreading Pike News” about an entry into Ukraine.
Bernstein was arrested by Russia’s ally, the Director – General for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption in Belarus (GUBOPiK). The arrest came after Bernstein’s personal information was shared on the principal’s public telegram channel.
In the hours after the arrest, a video of the arrest itself was published alongside his photo and personal details of Bernstein. Attached to the photo was a caption claiming Bernstein was accused of “disseminating false anti-Russian information.” The channel has since become private.
Local media also report that Bernstein was accused of editing Wikipedia articles about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, none of the information on the telegram channels clearly details what, if any, Bernstein was officially charged with.
In the activity log of Bernstein’s alleged username, Wikimedia, it can be seen that he made more than 200,000 edits in the Russian Wikipedia articles. Currently, his account is described as “blocked indefinitely”. On the Russian Wikipedia channel in the telegram, users in Belarus and Russia were also advised to hide personal data and edit articles about the war only from other accounts.
As you may recall, last week Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law punishing people who spread “fake news” with up to 15 years in prison, the same punishment that Bernstein could receive. The country’s technology and communications agency has also threatened to block Wikipedia on the Russian-language page on the current invasion of Ukraine. At the time, the Wikimedia Foundation issued a statement of support for the editors of the Russian Wikipedia.
A spokesman for the Wikimedia Foundation said the group was monitoring the situation closely: “The Foundation’s trust and safety and human rights teams have been monitoring the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and are in close contact with our communities in the region to ensure their safety and response.”