22 July 2026

Crimean Solidarity Civic Movement Terminates Activities Following Ongoing Russian Pressure on Human Rights Defenders

“The “Crimean Solidarity” civic movement has announced the termination of its activities after Ministry of the Justice of Russian Federation designated the organization as a “foreign agent” on June 26, 2026. The movement released a statement to this effect on its Facebook page.

“This decision was extremely difficult for us. Over the past decade, Crimean Solidarity has grown from a simple initiative into a community bound by mutual support, trust, and shared responsibility. However, under the current circumstances, we deem this step necessary. As of today, our website and social media pages will no longer be updated. The activities of the civic movement have been terminated…” the statement reads.

At the same time, they declared their intention to appeal the decision of the Russian state authorities through due legal process.

Crimean Solidarity was established in 2016 as a mutual aid initiative following a wave of searches and arrests targeting Crimean Tatars. Over time, the movement grew into one of the main sources of information on politically motivated persecution in occupied Crimea. It highlighted human rights violations and helped keep international attention on cases that Russian authorities tried to conceal.

For many families of those subject to arbitrary detention, this movement became not only a human rights initiative, but also a support system in their darkest moments.

The shutdown of the civic movement is the result of systematic pressure and persecution of human rights defenders and lawyers who support political prisoners and their families, as well as document human rights violations on the peninsula.