Russian Justice Ministry targets more activists of Crimean Solidarity grassroots movement
On 24 June 2026, the Russian Justice Ministry expanded the list of people it considers members of the Crimean Solidarity grassroots movement, which had previously been added to Russia’s register of foreign agents. The list now contains 137 names, said Lutfiie Zudiieva, a Crimean Tatar journalist and human rights advocate.
Illustration from open sourcesThe updated list includes Crimean and Russian lawyers who represented their clients in court, journalists, human rights defenders, artists, entrepreneurs, historians, Crimean Tatar elders, and the wives and mothers of Crimean political prisoners.
Zudiieva added that the list also includes people who have since died and those who were arrested many years ago.
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On 26 June, the Russian Justice Ministry added the Crimean Solidarity to its register of “foreign agents”. The organisation subsequently announced that it was ceasing its activities and intended to challenge the Russian authorities’ decision.
For ten years, the organisation documented cases of persecution of residents of occupied Crimea, supported the families of political prisoners, provided legal assistance and raised awareness of repression on the peninsula.
“The Russian Justice Ministry’s decision concerning the Crimean civic movement is one of the broadest in scope in terms of the number of people affected. Everyone the authorities have included on this list needs legal assistance and advice to protect their rights”, Zudiieva stressed.
Earlier, ZMINA reported that the international organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) had condemned Russia’s systematic pressure on independent journalists and media outlets in occupied Crimea, including the persecution of members of the Crimean Solidarity grassroots movement.
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