Belarusian scientist punished in Taiwan for drunk scooter driving on sidewalk
Maria Tsereshina researches spiders.
On September 30, 2026, the Taipei District Court heard the appeal of 27-year-old Belarusian citizen Maria Tsereshina in a case of drunk driving.
Maria Tsereshina is a biologist-arachnologist. She received her higher education in Poland, and then moved to Taiwan to study under a renowned spider researcher and work on the use of spider webs in medicine. In scientific publications, she is listed as an employee of Tunghai University in Taichung.
According to the case materials, on the night of April 26, 2025, the Belarusian woman was drinking in an open bar in Yuanshan Park in Taipei's Zhongshan District. After that, she got on a scooter and drove on the sidewalk. Around 2:50 AM, she was stopped by the police. Tsereshina herself stated during interrogation that she was driving at a minimal speed — about 3 km/h.
A test showed 0.30 mg of alcohol per liter of exhaled air. In Taiwan, this is strict — criminal liability begins at 0.25 mg/L.
In court, Tsereshina pleaded guilty. On November 18, 2025, the court of first instance sentenced her to two months of imprisonment with the possibility of substituting them with a fine. At the same time, the court decided not to deport her from the country. It took into account that she lives and works legally in Taiwan, had no previous offenses, and called the incident itself "a reckless act" that does not indicate a danger to society.
The Belarusian woman appealed only the severity of the punishment and requested a suspended sentence. The appellate panel decided that the court of first instance had correctly imposed the punishment and rejected the appeal. However, the court deferred the execution of the sentence for two years.
The condition is as follows: within six months after the verdict comes into force, she must pay approximately $1570. If the Belarusian woman does not pay, the prosecutor can ask the court to revoke the suspended sentence.
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Comments
Але за стырно апасля не лез.