OVD-Info has been designated an extremist organisation. What does this mean for us, for you, and for people in Russia?

What happened?

On 4 June 2026, OVD-Info, a human rights media project, was added to Rosfinmonitoring’s so-called list of terrorists and extremists as an ‘extremist organisation.’ The stated basis for the designation was the authorities’ claim that OVD-Info is a structural subdivision of the non-existent ‘International Movement Memorial,’ which Russia’s Supreme Court declared an ‘extremist organisation’ and banned on 9 April. The hearing was held behind closed doors, and the court’s ruling has still not been published.

On 5 June, Russia’s Ministry of Justice added OVD-Info to its register of extremist organisations.

What is the ‘International Movement Memorial’?

We describe this ‘international movement’ as non-existent because it is a construct invented by the authorities. It allows them to ban an entity and then arbitrarily label organisations as its subdivisions and individuals as its members without having to prove any actual connection.

The ‘International Movement Memorial’ is not the first such invented movement. Similar examples include the so-called ‘International Movement of LGBT’, the ‘International Movement of Satanism’ and the ‘Anti-Russian Separatist Movement’. All have been designated extremist and banned.

Why have the Russian authorities branded our work as extremism?

It is clear that none of the previous restrictions have achieved their intended goal. The ‘foreign agent’ laws, mass blocking of online resources, periodic internet shutdowns, wartime censorship, and the constant tightening of legislation have not stopped people from opposing the war, defending their rights, protecting their values and freedoms, or supporting those who stand up for them.

As a result, the authorities have turned to harsher labels and more draconian laws. In recent years, we have seen the list of so-called terrorists and extremists expand rapidly, alongside a sharp increase in prosecutions for treason. All of this points to a government that is struggling to control its own citizens.

What does the ban mean?

This means that almost all forms of interaction with OVD-Info are now either illegal or severely restricted in Russia.

In particular, it is now prohibited to:

• provide financial support to OVD-Info;
• call on others to support OVD-Info;
• publicly distribute our materials, links to our online resources, or even our logo;
• mention OVD-Info without stating that the organisation is banned in Russia;
• participate in OVD-Info’s activities in any capacity, including as a volunteer.

These rules may also be applied to foreign nationals. If you are currently in Russia or plan to travel there, we strongly recommend reading this guide carefully. In the second part of this guide, we explain in detail what activities are prohibited, how the restrictions may be applied in practice, and what legal risks they can create for people who interact with OVD-Info.

What does the extremist designation mean for OVD-Info?

This is the most serious blow the Russian authorities have dealt to OVD-Info to date.

In effect, they have declared the documentation and analysis of repression, assistance to its victims, and explanations of how repressive laws operate to be forms of extremism. In response, we have decided to continue our work for as long as possible, despite the pressure. Shutting OVD-Info down is precisely what the authorities hope to achieve through this ban.

You can read more about this in our statement.

At the same time, we have been forced to abandon some areas of our work because we can no longer guarantee their safety under our new designation.

Most importantly, on 4 June 2026 we ended all cooperation with lawyers inside Russia. We no longer provide legal representation to people in the country. However, our hotline remains operational: we continue to offer legal advice and help people understand where they can turn if they come under pressure.

We have also been forced to temporarily suspend humanitarian assistance to political prisoners and the sending of letters through Vestochka. For now, Vestochka remains available as a directory of political prisoners, including the information needed to write to them. The platform also contains instructions on how to prepare and send letters independently.

We continue our work on legal education, information gathering and media coverage of political repression in Russia.

We continue to study repression, collect and analyse data, and break through the iron curtain of censorship by providing Russians, international audiences, researchers and decision-makers with detailed and reliable information about political persecution.

We continue to promote our values and advocate globally for justice for political prisoners. We work with international institutions through complaints, reports and other advocacy tools.

Of course, we will do everything we can to ensure that people who rely on our support are not harmed by the suspension of certain programmes. But our extremist designation means that we can no longer speak openly about many aspects of our work, our partners or the people we help. Much of what we were proud of, what we valued, and what we spent years building has had to be shut down, hidden or erased.

But we do not believe this is forever. And we will continue our work.

What does the ban on our work in Russia mean for you?

In the days following our designation as an extremist organisation, we focused on explaining the risks of cooperating with OVD-Info to our audience and to the people we have helped.

For the first time in OVD-Info’s history, we tried to frighten people more than the Russian state itself. That is because supporting us has now become unsafe for people in Russia. It is important to us that anyone who chooses to work with or support OVD-Info fully understands the risks involved and makes that decision with their own safety in mind.

This means that many Russians can no longer support us, even if they live abroad, because they still have family members in Russia or need to travel there from time to time.

As a result, we must now rely on people like you to help us continue our work. More than ever before, we need the support of everyone willing to keep fighting alongside us.

Please remember that the restrictions and risks described below may also apply to you if you are in Russia or plan to travel there. If, despite these warnings, you are prepared to stand with us, please support OVD-Info.

What exactly is prohibited now for our supporters and clients in Russia? Complete legal guide

We believe that legal risks arise only from interactions that took place after 4 June 2026. That is the date on which it became publicly known that the Russian authorities consider OVD-Info an extremist organisation.

Awareness that an organisation has been designated extremist is a necessary element for prosecuting someone for interacting with it. Therefore, in our view, interactions that occurred before 4 June 2026 should not fall under these restrictions.

Donations and purchases

Russian law prohibits the financing of extremist activities (Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code). Conviction under this article can carry a sentence of three to eight years in prison, as well as fines or compulsory labour.

In practice, financing includes any transfer of funds to an organisation designated as extremist, including donations and purchases made using any bank card, in any currency and for any amount.

The size of the transfer does not matter-even a small donation may qualify.

We are not aware of any cases involving donations that were opened as a result of information-sharing between Russia and other countries. Nevertheless, we believe it is unsafe to make transfers while in Russia using bank cards issued in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan or other countries that exchange financial information with Russia. Such transactions can be easily identified by the security services. Transfers from Russian bank cards carry particularly high risks, although in OVD-Info’s case this is currently impossible, as donations from Russian bank cards have not been accepted since March 2026.

Even if you donate using bank cards or anonymous cryptocurrencies, caution is advisable if you travel to Russia. Security services may learn about a donation if they gain direct access to your devices during a border inspection. For advice on reducing risks at the border, see our dedicated guide.

If you support us, travel to Russia and are concerned about your safety, you can cancel your recurring donation here.

If you have any concerns, doubts or questions about donations, please contact us at [email protected].

Participation in OVD-Info’s activities

This is the broadest and most loosely defined category of interaction. Criminal liability may be imposed on people who continue to assist OVD-Info in any form. This could include, for example:

• volunteering for the project;
• distributing OVD-Info materials;
• giving interviews or comments to OVD-Info;
• taking part in OVD-Info events or organising joint events;
• collaborating on posts or public campaigns;
• otherwise helping to sustain or continue OVD-Info’s activities.

Participation in any such activity may be used as grounds for prosecution under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code. The maximum penalty is up to six years’ imprisonment.

We believe that seeking assistance from OVD-Info, receiving legal advice, or requesting a comment for a media report does not constitute participation in OVD-Info’s activities and is therefore not prohibited. However, we cannot predict how law enforcement agencies will interpret or apply these rules. At present, we are not aware of any cases in which someone has been prosecuted simply for seeking assistance from an organisation designated as extremist.

Reposts and links to content

Under Russian law, it is prohibited to repost or distribute materials that have been declared extremist by a court. Such materials are added to the Ministry of Justice’s List of Extremist Materials. At present, no OVD-Info materials have been included on that list.

However, we are aware of at least three cases in which reposts were treated as participation in the activities of a banned organisation. For that reason, we believe it is unsafe for people who are in Russia or who travel there to publicly share any OVD-Info materials-including this guide.

We also recommend that our readers in Russia remove old public reposts of, and links to, OVD-Info materials, particularly if there are many of them or if they contain OVD-Info symbols, such as our logo.

Russian law enforcement agencies often treat online publications as a continuing offence. Their position is that content remains publicly accessible to an unlimited audience for as long as it stays online, even if it was originally posted many years ago.

Publishing or displaying logos and other symbols

Displaying the symbols of an organisation designated as extremist is considered an administrative offence under Article 20.3 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences.

The problem here is that we do not know exactly which symbols the authorities have prohibited. However, we assume that this includes, at a minimum, the OVD-Info logo.

This means that people could potentially face penalties for displaying an OVD-Info badge on clothing, a sticker on a phone case, or our logo on social media-including in old posts published many years ago. Russian law enforcement agencies often treat online publications as a continuing offence because, in their view, the content remains publicly accessible. The maximum penalty under Article 20.3 is 15 days of administrative detention.

At the same time, simply possessing books published with OVD-Info’s participation, or OVD-Info merchandise, should not in itself constitute an offence. In the worst-case scenario, if law enforcement officers discover such items, they may attempt to use them as evidence of a connection to OVD-Info.

A further risk arises if a person has already been found liable under Article 20.3. For one year after completing the administrative penalty-whether paying a fine or serving a period of detention-they remain at risk of criminal prosecution. If they are found to have displayed extremist symbols again during that period, a criminal case may be opened under Article 282.4 of the Russian Criminal Code. The maximum penalty is four years’ imprisonment.

Calls to support OVD-Info

Under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code, recruiting or encouraging others to join an extremist organisation or community is punishable by four to eight years’ imprisonment.

In practice, this can include asking people to help OVD-Info, offering work or volunteer opportunities, or seeking participants for the project. It does not matter whether anyone actually joins or becomes involved-the offence is considered complete regardless of the outcome.

Comments, posts, reposts, livestreams and any other public calls to support OVD-Info made after 4 June 2026 may also be classified as public incitement to extremist activity under Article 280 of the Russian Criminal Code. The maximum penalty is up to five years’ imprisonment.

Mentions without a disclaimer

Under Russian law, it is permissible to mention an extremist organisation, but only if it is accompanied by a statement that the organisation is banned. This requirement applies to individuals, organisations and media outlets alike.

We are aware of cases in which people have been prosecuted under Part 2 of Article 13.15 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences for failing to indicate that an organisation has been liquidated or that its activities are prohibited. The maximum penalty for individuals is a fine of up to 2,500 rubles (approximately US$30).

The disclaimer may be phrased in various ways, for example:

• ‘An organisation whose activities are prohibited in the Russian Federation.’
• ‘An organisation banned in the Russian Federation.’

Is it safe to subscribe to our social media accounts, search for, and read our materials?

Russian law does not prohibit subscribing to the channels, social media accounts or mailing lists of organisations designated as extremist. At present, we are not aware of any cases in which someone has been prosecuted solely for subscribing. However, a subscription could attract the attention of law enforcement agencies.

The same applies to likes and reactions, particularly on platforms where it is possible to see who reacted to a post.

Formally, searching for and reading our materials and legal guides online remains lawful. Designating an organisation as extremist does not automatically make all of its publications extremist as well. Materials are considered extremist only if a court has separately declared them so and they have been added to the official List of Extremist Materials.

That said, we cannot predict how law enforcement agencies will behave in practice.

For safety reasons, we recommend:

• using a reliable VPN at all times;
• disabling or regularly clearing your browser’s search history;
• moving newsletter subscriptions to email accounts hosted by non-Russian providers, such as Gmail or Proton;
• avoiding Russian search engines when searching for materials published by banned organisations or for content that may be considered prohibited.

These precautions cannot eliminate all risks, but they may help reduce your digital exposure.