Maksim Zhbankou

Affiliated media: YouTube-channel "ShockingKult", Journalist, Cinema critic

Incident date: January 21, 2025

Attack type:

• Court trial

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Belarusian Association of Journalists

Location: Belarus, Minsk

Additional information:

The Partizansky District Court of Minsk has recognised the internet resources of cultural studies scholar, film critic and journalist Maksim Zhbankou as extremist information materials. The court deemed his Instagram and Facebook pages, as well as a YouTube channel titled ShockingKult (identifier: youtube.com/@Zhbankou), to be dangerous for distribution. On the basis of the court ruling, the Ministry of Information of Belarus added these internet resources to the “Republican List of Extremist Materials”. Under Belarusian law, the distribution and storage of materials recognised as extremist entail administrative liability for both publishers and users.