About the project
The project was founded by human rights defenders and activists who have been helping victims of LGBTQ+ persecution in Chechnya since 2017. Until 2021, we were part of the Russian LGBT Network and the Sphere Foundation. We then focused our work on the North Caucasus region, establishing the NC SOS Crisis Group led by David Isteev.
We help LGBTQ+ people flee from the republics where they face discrimination, violence, and life-threatening danger. We provide them with safe housing, as well as legal, financial, medical, and psychological assistance. Our aim is to give them the opportunity to start a new life in safety.
An integral part of our work is gathering evidence and disseminating information that can compel the Russian authorities and the international community to take action — to ensure that LGBTQ+ people in the region are no longer persecuted and to bring those responsible to justice.