Abroad and wanted in Russia

• How to check: a criminal record certificate via Gosuslugi or a trusted proxy (the authorities see the request; do not go to a consulate in person), the Interior Ministry 'wanted' database, Interpol's public Red Notices (see 'Am I on a list?'). CIS-channel searches bypass Interpol's filters.
• After a detention on an extradition request Russia usually has about 40 days to send papers. Apply for asylum at once, but with a lawyer: mistakes in the first application are hard to fix. A lawyer can also complain to the UN Human Rights Committee: its interim measures halted Movlaev's extradition from Kazakhstan.
• High risk, including in transit: Kazakhstan (Yemelyanova was detained changing planes in Almaty), Kyrgyzstan (Russian Interior Ministry office in Bishkek since 17 Aug 2026), Uzbekistan, UAE, Turkey.
• In 2026 Georgia resumed extraditions to Russia (5 people; on 18 Sep a court also cleared Timofeev, a Furgal aide) and refuses entry to some. Armenia does not extradite in political cases, but people were removed via the Gyumri base.
• Germany has effectively closed humanitarian visas for Russians and BAMF rejects deserters en masse. Rights groups advise applying for asylum with a lawyer and collecting evidence of persecution in advance.
• Where to turn: The Ark (Kovcheg), First Department, inTransit. If you are already in Kazakhstan, contact the Kazakhstan Bureau. The Anti-War Committee's 'Consuls' help if you face deportation. The Anti-War Committee is designated 'terrorist' in Russia. If you have ties to Russia, contacting it can become grounds for a case under 'terrorism' articles. Write to the 'Consuls' only if deportation is a real threat, and after talking to a lawyer.

Designations of organisations in this guide: Anti-War Committee 'Consuls' (terrorist). Contacting them carries a risk: do not write from a phone that may be seized, and do not repost their materials.

current as of 26 September 2026. More: First Department: extradition and deportation (foreign agent); Meduza: Kazakhstan has become dangerous for anti-war Russians (undesirable); The Moscow Times: deportation from Turkey (undesirable); The Insider: anti-war Russians denied asylum (undesirable); The Insider: Russia's Interior Ministry expands its office in Kyrgyzstan (undesirable); ISHR: the case of Mansur Movlaev; NewsGeorgia: Georgia resumes extraditions to Russia

• Most Interpol Red Notices are not public. A full request about yourself and a complaint go to the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF). See 'Am I on a list?'.
• Interpol's Constitution (art. 3) bars political cases. According to Interpol's internal data, about half of Russian files reviewed by the CCF did not comply with its rules.
• CIS-channel searches bypass Interpol's filters. Abductions are known in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia and Uzbekistan: people were lured to meetings or seized near bases.
• Rights groups advise not agreeing to 'business' meetings and keeping threats as evidence for the police and a lawyer. Let one trusted person outside Russia know your route. Don't give details to family in Russia: they may be questioned.
• Digital security: the Access Now helpline (24/7, Russian spoken) and First Department guides.

current as of 25 September 2026. More: Interpol: CCF; Meduza: abductions in neighbouring countries (undesirable); OVD-Info: transnational repression (extremist)