January 2025

Here’s what we accomplished:

• 3,263 messages were received via our Telegram bot, which had 188,030 active users by the end of the month;
• 390 calls were handled through our hotline;
• Our legal team conducted 55 consultations via phone and email;
• We reviewed 1 cassation appeal submitted through “Generaptor”, our automatic appeal generator;
• Together with Memorial Center, we prepared a guide on how supporters and readers of banned organizations can protect themselves.

These resources ensure that anyone facing political persecution has access to expert legal advice and practical safety measures.

Legal Aid from Lawyers, Attorneys, and Defenders

In January, our lawyers, attorneys, and defenders assisted 130 people:

• 9 times they visited police departments, helping 11 detainees;
• They assisted 18 people during court hearings for administrative cases;
• Managed to secure a new review or termination of 1 administrative case;
• Accompanied clients to 1 interrogation in Moscow;
• Took on 3 new criminal cases involving 3 defendants;
• By the end of January, our lawyers were defending 101 defendants across 89 criminal cases.

Sentences of the Month in Cases Involving OVD-Info Lawyers

• Natalya Guseva, human rights activist and coordinator of “Voice” in Zlatoust, was sentenced to two years on probation for a repeated case of “discrediting the army.” She was defended by attorney Anastasia Stepanova;
• Alexey Shchus, an engineer from Sochi, was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for reposting content related to the war in Ukraine and the production of weapons. He was defended by attorney Maria Spasibukhova;
• The Lefortovo District Court in Moscow sentenced Konstantin Seleznev to 8 years in a general regime colony for spreading military “fakes”. He was accused of posting military “fakes” motivated by political hatred after publishing a letter to the Russian Attorney General on VK. The letter referenced a UN report on Russian military crimes in three Ukrainian regions and included a New York Times investigation into the murders of civilians in Bucha. Seleznev was defended by attorney Oscar Cherdzhiev.

These cases demonstrate the ongoing struggle for legal defense and protection of rights in politically charged contexts.

Media and Awareness

We continue to highlight the ongoing political repression in Russia and provide critical data and support for those affected.

In Numbers:

• We published 172 news articles about political persecution in 62 regions;
• We produced 44 updates on arrests, court cases, and pressure on individuals for anti-war statements, criticism of the war in Ukraine, LGBTQ+ rights issues, anti-mobilization protests, and government repression on moral grounds;
• We wrote 4 comprehensive articles about political persecution.

Sharing Global Awareness on Political Persecution

We’ve continued our work of sharing crucial data and analyses regarding political repression in Russia, including:

• 86 individuals were targeted for discrediting the army since the beginning of the year;
• One person was detained for participating in an anti-war action;
• Over 20,000 individuals have been detained since the beginning of the full-scale war;
• 1,155 individuals have faced criminal charges for anti-war actions, with almost 300 becoming defendants over the past year.

International Advocacy Efforts

In January, our International Advocacy Department released two reports and prepared a summary report for the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights about the persecution of teachers.

• Report on the Persecution of Political Prisoners (in English)
  In this report, we highlighted the escalating political repression in Russia, illustrating how the government increasingly criminalizes dissent, particularly anti-war expressions. The report also addresses the harsh conditions faced by political prisoners, including lack of medical care. We focused heavily on the case of Alexei Navalny, detailing the systemic efforts to silence him and suppress any opposition.

This report was prepared in collaboration with Memorial, the Center for Human Rights Protection, and the independent human rights project Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial.

These efforts are part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring that political repression in Russia is exposed, and the international community is made aware of the serious human rights violations taking place.

Report on Restrictions of Protests and Opposition Activities during the 2024 Elections in Russia

In 2024, Russia held presidential elections, additional elections to the State Duma, elections for heads of 25 federal subjects, legislative elections in 13 regions, and numerous municipal elections. We studied the public response to the election results, the ways in which authorities attempted to suppress this reaction, and how these events fit into the broader picture of the suppression of freedom of speech and assembly in Russia over the past several years. These materials were compiled into a report for the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association, focusing on the «Year of Super Elections.»

We have created a dedicated page on our website that covers international advocacy, where we share reports, appeals to international institutions, and the outcomes of such actions.

«The government’s way or the highway»: how Russian authorities persecute teachers with an anti-war stance

Since the beginning of 2022, the Russian education sector has been undergoing significant changes. The authorities intensified their focus on patriotic education and started requiring teachers to actively support the war. Some education workers have quit or left the country due to new working conditions, pressure, and fear of mobilisation. This became one of the factors leading to the shortage of staff.

Those who stayed found it difficult to express their political views openly. They had to compromise in their teaching methods and use Aesopian language in their work.

In this report we reflect on how teachers became agents of state-ruled patriotic education, and how those who refuse to be a part of it, are prosecuted.

How Much We Spent

Expenses for the Project in January 2025

In total, the expenses for the project in January amounted to 419,712 EUR. Here’s a breakdown of the key spending areas:

1. Legal Aid: 101,131 EUR
   This includes payments for lawyers, advocates, and defenders who assisted detained individuals in police stations, courts, and coordinated support for criminal cases. These expenses cover:
   • Legal aid for administrative offenses (first and second instance courts)
   • Payment for lawyers visiting detained individuals at police stations
   • Participation of lawyers in criminal cases
   • Legal support in juvenile cases and questioning
2. Support for New and Partner Initiatives: 13,798 EUR
   Investments were made into new projects that enhance the project’s flexibility and sustainability. This includes partnerships with smaller initiatives to amplify resources, expertise, and knowledge, and trial runs of new directions such as medical or humanitarian assistance to those politically persecuted.
3. Hotline Operators and News Reporting: 37,395 EUR
   This amount covers the work of our monitoring team, which handles hotline calls, Telegram bot messages, and writes news updates daily.
4. Media Team Operations: 46,005 EUR
   We continue to ensure that information about political rights violations is publicly available, through large articles, special projects, interviews, and social media posts.
5. Data Projects, Reports, and Research: 21,903 EUR
   This includes expenses for gathering and analyzing data on political persecution, preparing reports, and making these available to journalists and researchers.
6. International Advocacy: 28,269 EUR
   Legal aid for preparing complaints to international institutions, participation in conferences, and efforts to raise awareness and impact legal practices violating international human rights standards.
7. IT Team Operations: 39,210 EUR
   This covers the development and maintenance of services and tools to help individuals protect themselves and others, ensuring the smooth operation of our system.
8. Volunteer Coordination: 10,351 EUR
   This amount goes towards the expansion and coordination of our volunteer network, enabling them to help with tasks vital to the project.
9. Care for Team Members: 33,395 EUR
   Support for team members including psychological assistance, medical compensation, competency development, and safety measures for the staff.
10. Operational Support: 62,149 EUR
    This includes the daily operations of the team, strategic planning, budget management, donor communications, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the project.
11. Infrastructure Expenses: 23,507 EUR
    These expenses are related to infrastructure needs like office rent, accounting services, taxes, and payment system fees for processing donations.

Thank you for your continued support! Your contributions help us maintain and expand the vital work we do.