Russia’s Supreme Court designated 172 indigenous groups as “terrorist” organizations

On November 22, 2024, Russia’s Supreme Court designated 172 indigenous groups as “terrorist” organizations, alleging their involvement in promoting secession and supporting Ukraine’s military efforts, as announced by the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Authorities assert that these groups function as “structural subdivisions” of the Free Nations of PostRussia Forum, a Poland-based entity established in 2022. This forum identifies itself as a platform advocating for the decolonization and division of Russia into 41 independent states.

The Prosecutor General’s Office stated that the organization is led by self-proclaimed leaders of national-separatist movements who have fled abroad, aiming to fragment Russia into smaller states under the influence of “unfriendly countries.”

Previously, in 2023, the Prosecutor General’s Office labeled the Free Nations of PostRussia Forum as an “undesirable organization,” citing threats to Russia’s constitutional order and security, thereby criminalizing any interaction with the forum.

The Supreme Court was scheduled to review the request to classify the forum as a “terrorist organization” on November 14, 2024.

Among the groups listed in the recent ruling are the Baltic Republican Party, the Ingria movement, and the Free Yakutia Foundation—three organizations already labeled “extremist” by Russia’s Justice Ministry earlier this year.

Sargylana Kondakova, co-founder of the Free Yakutia Foundation, an Indigenous rights group from the republic of Sakha (Yakutia), refuted the authorities’ characterization of her organization. She emphasized that the foundation is not part of the Free Nations of PostRussia Forum and does not identify as a nationalist separatist movement. Instead, the foundation focuses on advocating for the rights of Indigenous people in Sakha and combating propaganda within the republic. Kondakova added that while they consider themselves a decolonial movement, their goal is not the partitioning of the Russian Federation into multiple states.

In June 2024, the Supreme Court banned a vaguely defined “anti-Russian separatist movement” as “extremist,” though rights groups have noted the absence of any formally established organization by that name.

Subsequently, Russia’s Justice Ministry labeled 54 Indigenous groups and the U.S.-based Free Russia Foundation as “extremist” organizations.

These actions have raised concerns among Indigenous rights advocates and international observers regarding the suppression of Indigenous movements and the potential infringement on the rights of minority groups within Russia.