A legal project by FACTUM.PRESS
When the state comes for you, there is almost always a choice left — it is just that few people explain it clearly. We set out what the law actually permits, and what happens in practice when law and practice part ways.
The project is addressed to those under pressure from the Russian state, whether they are still in the country or left because of it: people facing call-up to the war; people deciding how and where to leave; people who have run into prosecution, pressure or restrictions and do not know what comes next.
Every article is divided in two: what the law says, with article numbers and links to primary sources, and what practice shows, with data from human rights organisations and dates attached. We do not repeat rumours and we do not present hopes as facts. Where a question has no clear answer, we say so.
We do not take on cases, give individual legal advice or help people leave. For personal assistance, approach the organisations that do: Idite Lesom, Pervy Otdel (First Department), the Conscript’s School and the Movement of Conscientious Objectors.
Everything we publish is also read by the people you may want to keep this from. Do not open these pages on a work computer or a work network — monitoring is almost always in place. Reaching blocked sites requires a VPN or Tor Browser: without one, your provider sees what you accessed, and that record is kept.
State services — the register of draft notices, court databases, government portals — log every visit. That is not a reason to stay away: knowing where you stand matters more. But use a device you would not mind having examined.
Do not bookmark our pages, and clear your browser history. More on digital security.
Further topics will appear as the project develops.
Material published by the project is for information only and does not constitute legal advice.