Death of Alexander Taraikovsky facts for kids

Alexander Taraikovsky (Belarusian: Аляксандр Тарайкоўскі; born March 26, 1986 – died August 10, 2020) was a person who took part in protests in Minsk, Belarus. He sadly died during the 2020 Belarusian protests. These protests involved many people speaking out against the government. Police used things like tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades during these events. Alexander was the first person whose death was officially confirmed during these protests.

Alexander's Death

Alexander Taraikovsky died on August 10, 2020. This happened in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus. He was near the Pushkinskaya metro station. His death occurred during the 2020 Belarusian protests against President Alexander Lukashenko. Alexander's death was the first one reported since the protests began.

The police first said that Alexander died because an explosive device went off in his hand. They claimed he was trying to throw it at officers. However, many people at the protests said he was shot by the police. A video was shared on August 15, 2020. This video seemed to show Alexander with empty hands when he was shot by the police.

On August 14, 2020, Tut.By, a news group in Belarus, reported something different. Alexander's death certificate said he died from a lot of bleeding. This was from an open wound in his chest.

Later, an audio recording was leaked. In this recording, the head of a special police unit, Nikolai Karpenkov, seemed to say that police shot Alexander. On February 2, 2021, Tut.By shared results from a voice analysis of this recording. Experts confirmed it was Nikolai Karpenkov's voice. They also said the recording did not seem to be changed.

On February 19, 2021, the Investigative Committee of Belarus agreed that Alexander died from a wound that went through his body. This was different from their first claim about an explosive device. But they still said that police used non-deadly weapons. They also refused to open a criminal case about his death.

Calls for a Closer Look

People gathering to remember Alexander Taraikovsky in Minsk on August 15, 2020.

Alexander's partner, Elena German, was allowed to see his body four days after he died. Elena said she did not believe the police's official story about how Alexander died. She stated that Alexander only had an injury to his chest. She said his hands and feet were "completely fine." She told the Associated Press that she was sure he was shot by the police. She did not believe he died from an explosive device. Elena described the chest wound as looking like a sewn-up hole with a black bruise around it.

Elena asked a Belarusian Human Rights group for help. She wanted an independent investigation by international experts into Alexander's death. She said she did not see an exit wound on Alexander's back. She asked to see the bullet, thinking it was still inside his body. But the police did not let her. This made people even more suspicious that Alexander was killed by a real bullet.

After Alexander's death, video footage was shared. It showed Alexander standing with his hand by his body. Blood was coming from his chest. He then fell down in front of police officers and did not move. Elena German said there was new video footage that showed Alexander being shot by the police.

Public Investigation

On December 21, 2020, a group called "Belarusian People's Tribunal" shared some information. They claimed that Alexander Taraikovsky was killed on purpose. They said an officer from a special police unit was responsible.

Remembering Alexander

On August 11, 2020, people created a memorial where Alexander died. It was made by ordinary citizens. During the night, city workers removed it. But it appeared again the next morning. It was removed again, and then it reappeared once more.

On August 13, ambassadors from European Union countries and representatives from the US embassy placed flowers at the memorial.

On August 15, thousands of people in Belarus gathered at Pushkin Square. This was where Alexander died. They came to honor him, place flowers, and have a moment of silence. They chanted "Tribunal," and cars passing by honked their horns to show support. Many well-known people, like artists and political figures, came to pay their respects.

Alexander's funeral was held on the same day. About 800 people attended, even though only family and close friends were first invited. When Alexander's coffin was brought out, people knelt down. They clapped, made a victory sign, and shouted "Glory to the hero!" and "Long live Belarus!" They then sang "Magutny Bozha" (Mighty God), a song used by those who oppose the government. Alexander Taraikovsky was buried in the Western cemetery that day.

On September 2, an important message was written on the sidewalk near the memorial: "We will not forget!" Someone covered it with salt. This made people protest right away. They started to wipe the salt away and put it into garbage bags, even with police nearby. A photojournalist was stopped and had his memory cards taken. The memorial was covered with salt again on September 4, but people removed it once more. On the night of September 6, masked people painted over "We will not forget!"

On September 9, two people in Minsk were stopped when they tried to fix the message. A 25-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man were taken away. They were later accused of damaging property. As of October 28, they were still held in a detention center. On December 8, the woman was given a sentence of one and a half years where her freedom was limited. The man received a sentence of two years in a special facility. On the same day, three more people who wrote the message were sentenced. One of them received a two-year sentence in a strict facility.

On September 17, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya announced a "Taraikovsky's List." This list would name officials and police who were involved in unfair actions.

In May 2021, a government company put a trash can where the memorial used to be.

In May and August 2021, some people were stopped and later fined or jailed for placing flowers near where Alexander died.

What People Said

Journalist Vadim Shundalov left a state-run newspaper after Alexander's death. He said that journalists were not allowed to report on a video that showed a different story than the police's official version.

On August 16, 2020, the Interior Minister at the time, Yury Karayeu, changed the first official story. He said Alexander might have been killed by a rubber bullet.

On September 17, 2020, the European Parliament asked for a "fair and effective investigation" into Alexander Taraikovsky's death.

On November 19, 2020, Jim Gilmore, the United States Ambassador to a security organization, spoke about the investigation into Alexander's death being paused for three months. He said it showed how Belarusian security forces were acting without consequences against peaceful protesters.

On November 26, 2020, the European Parliament again asked for a "quick, thorough, fair, and independent investigation" into the deaths during protests in Belarus, including Alexander Taraikovsky's.

In Culture

Video footage of Alexander's death was used in a music video called "Silence of the Lambs" by the Russian band Nogu Svelo!.

The play Insulted. Belarus(sia) (2020) includes characters based on real people. These include Alexander Lukashenko, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Alexander Taraikovsky, and others.

See also

• 2020 Belarusian protests
• List of deaths related to the 2020 Belarusian protests
• Raman Bandarenka
• Hienadz Shutau
• Аляксандар Віхор