OVD-Info is an independent project dedicated to combatting repression in Russia through research, media, and advocacy. Founded in 2011 to monitor freedom of assembly, OVD-Info grew into one of the country’s largest human rights initiatives. Now operating in exile, our team continues to provide legal aid remotely and remains a leading source of data and expertise on political persecution.
Russia’s wartime crackdown on dissent affects everyone, from prominent political activists to ordinary citizens caught in its dragnet. The authorities carry out politically motivated arrests, interrogations, and searches almost every day. Openly opposing the war against Ukraine, protesting the government, or writing a critical post can lead to years in prison. Our mission is to ensure that no one is left to face this system alone — and to fight for a future where political repression is no longer possible.
For media enquiries, please contact us at media@ovdinfo.org.
For communication with international lawyers and our advocacy team, please email int@ovdinfo.org.
For general enquiries and requests for assistance, please contact info@ovdinfo.org.
We collect data from open sources and partner human rights organisations. We carefully verify and cross-check this information, and we regularly update our datasets. We publish only the minimum figures that we can confirm with complete confidence.
Our funding primarily comes from you—small donors who feel like they want to contribute to Russians’ struggle against authoritarianism.
You can support us here if you are not in Russia and do not plan to travel there. Otherwise, because of our designation as an extremist organisation, doing so may be unsafe
