Paper found in a search can become evidence: keep it carefully.
If someone close is held abroad: find their case number and location, and get a lawyer.
Only for people who are now in: KazakhstanWrite to Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law Another country: who helps (13)
Draft What human rights defenders advise
Designations of organisations in this guide: Russian America for Democracy in Russia (RADR) (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 26 September 2026. More: Boston Globe: the US is turning its back on Russian asylum seekers; First Department: extradition and deportation (foreign agent)
Shows those who help where you are now. The choice works only on your screen.
Protects Russians in Kazakhstan from extradition and deportation and helps with asylum; also takes cases of Kazakh activists and journalists.
Helps people already in Kazakhstan; lawyer Artur Alkhastov advises Russians. Entering or transiting Kazakhstan is risky: since January 2026 the authorities have extradited and deported political refugees.
Other ways to reach them: Telegram channel @kibhr
Germany's largest asylum rights organisation: advice, help finding a lawyer, appeals against refusals.
UN Refugee Agency country pages: how to apply for asylum, where to go, local partner contacts.
One of Georgia's oldest human rights groups: strategic litigation, defence of people detained at protests, ECHR applications.
Since 14 March 2026 its general free legal aid is suspended: GYLA runs in 'crisis mode' and takes only strategic cases. Staff has been cut and the Batumi office closed. For a free consultation, try the Transparency International Georgia legal centre.
Free legal advice for asylum seekers in Türkiye. There is a separate helpline for people held in removal (deportation) centres.
The website is in Turkish and English; by phone and email English works best. Rights information is also available in Russian (multecihaklari.info). The Istanbul office sees people by appointment.
Other ways to reach them: detention helpline: +90 507 218 62 85 · info@mhd.org.tr · form on the website
Free legal aid for refugees and asylum seekers in Serbia, as a UNHCR partner. They handle asylum, detention and expulsion cases.
They work with all refugees; the site says nothing specific about Russians or Belarusians. Write in English or Serbian.
Other ways to reach them: legal aid: +381 69 565 72 54 · asylum in Serbia (a call stays in the phone log and with the operator)
The association's lawyers regularly visit Turkish removal centres and give free help to refugees and detainees: appealing removal and applying for international protection.
The office is in İzmir; the site is in Turkish and English, so write in English. There is no separate detention helpline on the site, only general office numbers.
Other ways to reach them: office: 0232 483 54 21 · 0549 483 54 21 · form on the website (a call stays in the phone log and with the operator)
Free confidential hotline for people in immigration detention in the US. Helps reach family, refers to lawyers, helps with complaints about abuse, bond fund requests and commissary money.
From a detention centre, call free from a facility phone: dial 9233#, Mon-Fri 8am-8pm Pacific time. They do not represent people in court but refer them to lawyers. Russian is not listed as a supported language.
Organisation of asylum seekers in the US; membership is free for immigrants. Explains in Russian how to find someone detained by ICE, contact them and seek release (habeas, bond), and where to find lawyers.
This is mostly guidance and community; they do not provide a personal lawyer.
Other ways to reach them: join (membership application)
Free drop-in offices for foreigners across France. Help with asylum, accompany people to OFPRA interviews, assist people in administrative detention centres and with appeals against removal.
Works in French. Find your regional office on the website; many are closed in summer. To be accompanied to an OFPRA interview, write at least 10 days in advance.
Other ways to reach them: observations.ofpra@lacimade.org (OFPRA interviews) · regional offices
Lawyers for treason, espionage, state secrets and extremism cases, including closed trials. Advice on digital security.
The only official bot is @deptonebot. It never asks for money or SMS codes.
Other ways to reach them: website · info@dept.one
Association of anti-war Russians in the US: helps Russian asylum seekers, including people held in immigration detention.
Since 2025 the US has been detaining and deporting Russian asylum seekers en masse; rights groups advise against crossing from Mexico without a lawyer. Since July 2026 the risk of mobilisation alone is not enough for US asylum: applicants must prove personal persecution.
Free legal aid for foreigners in Poland: asylum, legal status, deportation, rights violations. You need to send copies of your documents.
Designated an 'undesirable organisation' in Russia since August 2025. If you are in Russia or travel there, contacting it or taking part in its work can lead to prosecution. Do not send original documents, only copies.
Other ways to reach them: hotline for Ukrainian citizens: +48 22 556 44 40 +48225564440 · legalhelp.ua@hfhr.pl (for Ukrainian citizens) (a call stays in the phone log and with the operator)
In Russia, lawyers are found by First Department (foreign agent) and Solidarity Zone (foreign agent). Lawyers abroad known for defending political cases: list of lawyers →