Russia outlaws crisis group for Chechen LGBTQ+ people and domestic violence survivors as an ‘extremist’ organization

Russia has designated SK SOS, a crisis group that helps Chechen LGBTQ+ people and domestic violence survivors, as an 'extremist' organization, according to Meduza. The group's director received the letter about a month after the decision was made, though it hasn't yet appeared in the Justice Ministry's official registry. SK SOS says it saw this coming after Russia's broader 'international LGBT movement' designation, and has already pulled its staff and volunteers out of the country, disabling Russian bank card donations for safety. The organization says it will keep offering evacuation help and psychological support remotely, though the fate of Seda Suleymanova — a Chechen woman the group had highlighted after her 2023 detention in St. Petersburg — remains unknown.

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