Russia designates North Caucasus women and queer rights group ‘extremist’
NC SOS Crisis Group is the latest target of Russia’s anti-LGBT crackdown
As the Russian government deepens and expands its ongoing crackdown on LGBT people, queer rights and advocacy groups have come under increasing threat, and now an LGBT organizations based in the North Caucasus region is the latest to come under attack, with the government labelling it an “extremist organization,” which can prohibit it from operating in the country and designate anyone working for them a criminal.
The progressive Caucasus-focused online news organization OC Media reported on July 29:
Russia has designated the NC SOS Crisis Group, which offers support to women and queer people who are victims of domestic violence in the North Caucasus, an “extremist organisation.” NC SOS Crisis Group said it only learned of the decision a month later through a letter addressed to its director.
In a statement released on the social media platform Telegram in Russian, NC SOS did not specify which court had issued the ruling or when it had entered into force. It also did not disclose who had sent the letter. At the time of publication, NC SOS had not been included in the federal register of extremist organisations maintained by the Justice Ministry.
“We had long expected this decision and began restructuring our work as soon as the ‘international LGBT social movement’ was declared extremist. We stopped accepting donations from Russian bank cards to protect people and scaled back our activities inside Russia. At present, we have no staff or volunteers remaining in the country,” the statement said.
The group said it intends to appeal the court’s decision but stressed that it would continue assisting those who seek its help.
“For those who turn to us for assistance, nothing changes. We will continue to provide consultations, help with evacuations, and offer medical and psychological support. Receiving assistance from us is not currently considered participation in the activities of the organisation,” NC SOS said.
NC SOS was founded in 2021 by human rights defenders who had previously taken part in evacuating persecuted queer people from Chechnya. Initially, the organisation focused on helping people targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, but it later expanded its work. It now assists residents of the North Caucasus facing domestic violence, ‘honour killings,’ forced marriages, unlawful deprivation of liberty, and other human rights abuses. The organisation provides evacuation assistance, safe accommodation, legal support, as well as psychological and medical care.
According to NC SOS, between 2017 and 2024 the organisation and the activists who worked on similar cases before its establishment assisted 882 people. Of those, 415 were evacuated from the North Caucasus, while 384 were granted asylum or resettled in safe countries. In 2024 alone, the organisation provided assistance to 54 people, including 25 who were evacuated from the region.
Among NC SOS’ best-known successful operations was the 2022 evacuation of four women from Dagestan — sisters Khadizhat and Patimat Khizrieva, as well as Aminat Gazimagomedova and Patimat Magomedova — who fled domestic violence and escaped to Georgia.
According to the organisation, Russian border guards held the women at the Upper Lars checkpoint for around 11 hours before they were eventually allowed to leave the country. NC SOS has also repeatedly reported the successful evacuation of women and queer people from Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Daghestan, whose identities remain anonymous for security reasons.
In May 2023, the Justice Ministry designated the group a “foreign agent.”
