The list of new targets, the vast majority of whom are Crimean Tatars, is huge, and includes human rights defenders, journalists and the fathers, wives or other close family members of political prisoners.
A month after Russia effectively outlawed the critically important Crimean Solidarity human rights movement by adding it to the so-called ‘register of foreign agents’, the Russian justice ministry has massively increased the number of people, most of them Crimean Tatars, directly targeted in its attack as ‘participants in Crimean Solidarity’. If, initially, it specifically named eleven people, including three lawyers defending political prisoners, the register, as of the update published on 24 July, now contains the names of 137 men and women. These are human rights defenders, civic activists, current political prisoners; closer relatives of political prisoners and virtually all lawyers representing political prisoners. In a few cases, the people were added posthumously, however the basic message behind the offensive could not be clearer. Defend or show solidarity with victims of Russian repression, including in your professional capacity, and you too will become a victim of repression
Although those whom the justice ministry has labelled ‘participants in Crimean Solidarity’ have not themselves automatically turned into so-called ‘foreign agents’, they do have to preface any material they publish or post on social media with information about their inclusion in the list, etc. The lack of such leads to administrative liability in the first instance but can result in criminal charges with a supposed ‘repeat offence’. It is extremely difficult to foresee places where something was earlier posted, and there are no grounds at all for assuming that the decision to add a person in 2026 will not be applied retroactively to cover social media posts from 2022, or even 2015.
Russia really has introduced mass persecution for Crimean Solidarity, with very many of the people added to the register as ‘participants’ literally persecuted for trying to attend political trials or the armed searches which Russia has brought to occupied Crimea.
It is also including all of those who, as lawyers, have provided political prisoners with the legal representation to which they are entitled. Russia’s persecution of particular lawyers began long ago, with several having been subjected to absurd administrative charges or even jailed for up to 12 days. Persecution against Emil Kurbedinov began back in 2017, and has continued, as has that against his colleague, Edem Semedlyaev. The third person added to the register back on 26 March 2026 is Lilia Hemedzhy. She was stripped of her licence to practise as a defence lawyer in August 2022, together with two other lawyers defending political prisoners – her husband Rustem Kyamilev and Nazim Sheikhmambetov. They have now been added to the register of ‘foreign agents’ as involved in Crimean Solidarity. So too have other lawyers who have ensured that political prisoners whom Russia has deprived of all other elements of a fair trial, at least had access to independent lawyers, defending their interests. The vast majority are Crimean Tatars, some of whom were not defence lawyers, but came forward because of the mounting number of political prisoners. Emine Avamileva and Aider Azamatov have also faced persecution, as has one of the Russian lawyers who have represented victims of repression – Alexei Ladin. (see below for all names).
At present the lawyers will continue representing political prisoners in their individual capacity. How realistic this is long term, remains to be seen, even from a practical point of view.
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https://khpg.org/en/1608815942
https://khpg.org/en/1608815926
