First Department
Lawyers for treason, espionage, state secrets and extremism cases, including closed trials. Advice on digital security.
If Telegram doesn't open: website
Draft First minutes: what human rights defenders usually advise
Draft. Compiled from human rights groups' guides but not yet reviewed by a lawyer. This is not legal advice — check the linked sources and consult a lawyer.
current as of September 25. More: Oninvest: Commission guidance for banks; Bank of Russia: transfer restrictions; T-Bank: income tax for non-resident remote workers; First Department: Binance and data for investigators (foreign agent)
Draft First minutes: what human rights defenders usually advise
Draft. Compiled from human rights groups' guides but not yet reviewed by a lawyer. This is not legal advice — check the linked sources and consult a lawyer.
Designations of organisations in this guide: OVD-Info (foreign agent, extremist, on Rosfinmonitoring list); Reforum Help (undesirable). Contacting them carries a risk: do not write from a phone that may be seized, and do not repost their materials.
current as of September 25. More: OVD-Info: seizure of emigrants' property (extremist); First Department: the law on seizing emigrants' property (foreign agent); OVD-Info: my bank account was frozen (extremist)
Lawyers for treason, espionage, state secrets and extremism cases, including closed trials. Advice on digital security.
If Telegram doesn't open: website
Legal advice for people who have left (documents, residence permits, visas, asylum, extradition risk), temporary housing, free psychologists, mutual-aid chats by city.
Lawyers via the Telegram bots @kovcheglive_bot and @EmigrantHelpBot; psychologists and housing via forms on the website. The project was set up with support from the Anti-War Committee, designated 'terrorist' in Russia in March 2026; The Ark itself is a 'foreign agent'.
If Telegram doesn't open: team@kovcheg.live
Free psychologists and lawyers for forced emigrants: migration and visas, taxes, civil law, humanitarian residence; groups and seminars.
A Reforum project of the Free Russia Foundation, designated 'undesirable' in Russia. If you travel to Russia, contacting an 'undesirable' organisation or joining its events can lead to prosecution, so check with a lawyer.