The guides below are drafts: a lawyer has not reviewed them yet. This is not legal advice.
Draft What human rights defenders advise
Designations of organisations in this guide: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (undesirable). Contacting them carries a risk: do not write from a phone that may be seized, and do not repost their materials.
current as of 25 September 2026. More: HRW: Azerbaijan rearrests journalist returned from Georgia; HRW: crackdown on activists in exile; CPJ: Toplum TV sentences
Free 24/7 help for activists and journalists: hacked accounts, surveillance, securing accounts and devices. Russian-language support available.
Other ways to reach them: help@accessnow.org
Emergency support for human rights defenders at risk: protection grants, secure contact, publicity and advocacy after detention.
For people targeted for peaceful human rights work, including activists and journalists.
Other ways to reach them: protection grants
Works to free prisoners of conscience through the UN (Working Group on Arbitrary Detention) and international publicity.
Takes cases selectively; suited to relatives of political prisoners rather than emergencies.
Other ways to reach them: info@freedom-now.org
Helps journalists at risk: safety advice, emergency assistance, publicity for cases.
Designated 'undesirable' in Russia since May 2026: contacting it from Russia or Russian accounts carries a risk.
Other ways to reach them: emergencies@cpj.org
Assistance to journalists and media: grants, legal support, publicity for persecution.
Designated 'undesirable' in Russia since 2025: if you are a Russian citizen or travel there, factor in the risk.
Other ways to reach them: assistance2@rsf.org