Crimean Solidarity grass-roots initiative ceases operations

On 26 June 2026, the Russian Ministry of Justice added the Crimean Solidarity civic movement to its register of “foreign agents”. The organisation subsequently announced that it would cease its activities and challenge the Russian authorities’ decision, Crimean Solidarity said in its statement.

A gathering of the Crimean Solidarity movement in Sudak in 2018, attended by Russian occupation security forces. Photo credit: Oleksandra Yefymenko

For ten years, the organisation documented the persecution of residents of occupied Crimea, supported the families of political prisoners, provided legal assistance and disseminated information about repression on the peninsula.

The movement stressed that many of its members who assisted victims of political repression had themselves faced fines, administrative detention and criminal prosecution. These activities were among the reasons why Crimean Solidarity was added to the register.

On 26 June 2026, the Russian Ministry of Justice added the Crimean Solidarity civic movement to its register of “foreign agents”. Crimean Solidarity said that, following its designation as a “foreign agent”, it saw no possibility of continuing its work in its previous format. The movement regards the “foreign agent” designation as a form of political pressure intended to isolate it and discredit its activities. It has therefore decided to cease its activities, and its website and social media pages will no longer be updated.

At the same time, representatives of the movement said they intended to use the remedies available under Russian law to defend their rights and challenge the decisions of the state authorities.

“Being designated a “foreign agent” does not change our values, principles or goals, but under the current circumstances, we see no possibility of continuing these activities in their previous format“, the statement reads.

Crimean Solidarity was established ten years ago – in April 2016 – as a mutual aid grass-roots initiative for people facing political persecution in occupied Crimea. Members of the movement reported on the trials of political prisoners, supported their families and drew attention to human rights violations on the peninsula.

You may also want to read: Resistance gone underground: how occupation punishes dissent

ZMINA previously reported that the Russian Ministry of Justice had listed citizen journalists Zedin Adzhykeliamov and Ruslan Paralamov, who have covered political persecution in occupied Crimea for years, as “members” of the Crimean Solidarity civic movement.

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