The nature of political repression in Russia has changed significantly in recent years. Increasingly, people are a target of the country’s security apparatus not because of their activities, but because of their – innate or ascribed – identity or status, for example their sexual orientation, ethnic background, or categorisation as a ‘foreign agent’. In 2024, there was an increase in raids on public events under the pretext of taking action against the LGBTQ+ community, which has been categorised as an extremist group. After the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall, the authorities launched a wave of deportations of foreign nationals. And the mobilisation of Russia’s ethnic minorities for the war against Ukraine has been disproportionately high.

These developments must be seen in the broader context of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, an increasingly authoritarian regime and a state ideology that blends neo-conservativism with imperial nationalism. At the same time, the rise in homophobic and xenophobic rhetoric, alongside legislative initiatives reminiscent of Russia’s ‘foreign agent’ law, reflect a global trend – even if its form and intensity differ from region to region.  

Together with experts from civil society and academia, we will explore how the persecution of vulnerable groups has evolved in Russia and ask how the political landscape in Europe and beyond is changing, what impact this is having on human rights work and transnational solidarity, and what this means for the migration of activists and other affected people – often their only remaining lifeline.