Paper found in a search can become evidence: keep it carefully.
Draft What human rights defenders advise
current as of 26 September 2026. More: Mediazona: Russia's internet censorship in 2026 (foreign agent); Forbes: law on fines for searching for extremist material; OVD-Info: MAX at school (extremist); EFF: Surveillance Self-Defense; Meduza: Telegram blocking in Russia reached 95% by 10 April 2026 (OONI data) (undesirable)
Legal hotline: cases over posts, reposts and comments, website blocking, detentions via facial recognition.
Set up by lawyers from the Agora human rights group, which Russia designated 'undesirable' in 2023.
The only official bot is @nfp_hotline. It never asks for money or SMS codes.
Other ways to reach them: Delta Chat
Free, anonymous psychological support for people affected by, or afraid of, political persecution and for their families; an information line and safety guides.
Psychological help is in a separate bot, @PsyFirstlineBot: free, anonymous, one-off chat sessions with trained volunteer psychologists, 18+, no diagnoses or medication. Confidentiality is broken if there is a risk of suicide or a threat to a child.
The only official bot is @FirstLineHelpBot. It never asks for money or SMS codes.
Other ways to reach them: website · psychology bot
Free 24/7 help for activists and journalists: hacked accounts, surveillance, securing accounts and devices. Russian-language support available.
Other ways to reach them: help@accessnow.org
A Swedish foundation, free of charge, fights off DDoS attacks, cleans hacked websites, provides secure hosting, does digital forensics, checks phones for spyware and helps get around blocking.
They help independent media, investigative journalists, human rights activists and NGOs; people without such work may be turned down. They do not clean personal computers. Reply within 24 hours, communication in English.
Other ways to reach them: about the service
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
Last signs of activity: October 2025. Before writing, check on the organisation's own site that it still works.
Free grants of up to 5,000 US dollars for urgent digital protection for human rights defenders, journalists and activists: replacing seized or stolen equipment, secure systems, circumventing blocking, help after attacks. Unregistered groups can apply too.
Languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese; others on request by email. A reply can take up to two weeks, so this is not instant help. The fund is run by the Dutch organisation Hivos.
Other ways to reach them: team@digitaldefenders.org
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 →