Help Human Rights Defenders in Russia

OVD-Info is an independent human rights project working to end political persecution in Russia. We provide legal aid to those unjustly targeted, especially regarding intensified repression following the invasion of Ukraine. Anyone, from anti-war protesters to activists and politicians, can face persecution. We collect and publish data on political repression, coordinate legal support, and advocate for systemic changes, focusing on freedoms of assembly and expression.

Why OVD-Info? We are the best in Russia at what we do — have been for 13 years.

Using one hypothetical case as an example, we will show how OVD-Info helps its defendants at different stages of confronting the system — and which results we can achieve if we are together.

In our hypothetical story, we learn about the detention of a future OVD-Info defendant thanks to a group which constantly detentions and political persecution and consequently advises those concerned or, if necessary, passes the information on to our legal team. By calling the hotline, the detainee informs us of his detention. After conducting an initial online consultation, we send an attorney directly to the police station where the defendant is being held to provide free legal assistance. Unfortunately, in our story, a criminal case is brought against the protester. Even so, the legal team of OVD-Info is not ready to leave a person alone against the system, so we find an attorney to handle the court case and start a public campaign in support of our defendant.

OVD-Info pours in all its media resources to draw attention to our defendant’s story: a quick news article will be the first to be published, then it will be followed by social media posts, a detailed long-form story, and our analysis of the systemic problem as a whole. Thanks to our large audience, we are able to raise a wave of public outrage.

The hypothetical criminal case we cover in our story could become one of the elements of our future report on human rights violations in Russia.

OVD-Info will discuss our defendant’s case and other similar cases at the international level, shedding light on the real state of human rights in Russia.

It’s only armed with your support that we can continue our work. Our story is coming to an end, but behind the hypothetical case are dozens and hundreds of real ones — and these people need our help every day. Thank you for supporting OVD-Info! Together we make sure that no one is left alone against the system in Russia.

For 13 years we have been working together to help real people. Only together we will cope with the dark times! Start supporting OVD-Info today.